The Nightmare Realm
by Bill K
Summary: A Neo-Sailor Moon adventure; Elysian is once again threatened and Endymion, Neo-Sailor Moon and the Asteroid Senshi must intercede to stop the plague's spread to Earth.
1. The BlowUp

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
Chapter 1: "The Blow-Up"  
  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic  
  
By Bill K.  
  
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Sailor Moon and all related characters are (c)2003 by Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha and Toei Animation and are used without permission, but with respect. Story is (c)2003 by Bill Kropfhauser.  
  
As always, for those only familiar with the English dub:  
  
Usagi/Serenity=Serena  
  
Ami=Amy  
  
Rei=Raye  
  
Makoto=Lita  
  
Minako=Mina  
  
Haruka=Amara  
  
Michiru=Michelle  
  
Setsuna=Trista  
  
Mamoru/Endymion=Darien  
  
Chibi-Usa/Usa=Rini  
  
Finally, Haruka and Michiru are NOT cousins.  
  
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Sailor Moon, in reality Usagi Chiba, the princess of Crystal Tokyo, felt the vertigo as she tumbled through the air. It was disorienting. She reached out for something to steady herself and found it was the mat on the floor. With a last second lunge she was able to turn her shoulders just enough to land on the mat without doing any permanent damage. When her eyes stopped rattling in her head, the princess looked up.   
  
Standing over her, a smile of satisfaction on her face and a sadistic twinkle in her eye, was Sailor Vesta. Her hands rested with haughty disposition on her hips.  
  
"You're enjoying this too much," snarled Sailor Moon.  
  
"You mean getting the chance to beat the snot out of a big-shot, spoon-fed honest to god princess?" Sailor Vesta almost laughed in reply. "Gotta give you points for perceptiveness."  
  
"STOP GLOATING!" roared Sailor Venus, who was instructing the self-defense class Usa and the Asteroid Senshi were attending. "Pat yourself on the back AFTER you've beaten your opponent!"  
  
"Matter of time," Sailor Vesta shrugged.  
  
But during that time, Usa was easing her hand up to her head while trying to shield it from Vesta. Delicately she eased the tiara from her forehead. Then with the speed of a cobra, the girl whipped the tiara at Vesta's ankle. She didn't shout her power phrase - - this was practice, after all - - as she let go. Still the tiara sailed with uncanny accuracy and impacted on target. Thrown off balance, Vesta tumbled to the floor. Instantly Sailor Moon was on top of her.  
  
"NO FAIR USING WEAPONS!" Vesta howled.  
  
"WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 'FAIR'!" Venus bellowed back. "Deal with it!"  
  
Sailor Moon had her wrists and was trying to pin Vesta down. Emitting a snarl, Vesta shoved off the mat and threw Sailor Moon off of her. When Sailor Moon rolled to a stop, she saw Vesta was already in a crouch.  
  
"Fauna Assimilation - - leopard!" snarled Vesta.  
  
Instantly she morphed into a fully-grown leopard. Teeth bared, she hunched her shoulders to leap at Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon responded by summoning the Crescent Moon Wand.  
  
"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus called out.   
  
The golden heart-shaped links of the chain shot out and wrapped around Vesta before she could leap at Sailor Moon. Vesta tugged and pulled, but found herself anchored.  
  
"Stand down, both of you!" Venus said in a tone that expected to be obeyed. Sailor Moon complied, but Vesta remained in animal form. "I said stand down!" Venus glared.  
  
With sullen reluctance, Vesta returned to human form.  
  
"Above all else, the one thing you need to keep in a fight is your head," Venus lectured. "Otherwise somebody will hand it to you. Got it?"  
  
"Yes, Venus-san," Sailor Moon panted.  
  
"Uh huh," murmured Vesta, not looking at anybody.  
  
"Vesta, have you lost your mind?" demanded Sailor Ceres. "That's the Princess!"  
  
"Hey, if she can't take it, she can always run back to mommy!" Vesta snapped back.  
  
"Vesta," Juno began.  
  
"Look, you want to kiss her ass? Kiss her ass!" Vesta said, angrily storming out. "I don't kiss ass!"  
  
"Sailor Moon, we're sorry about that," Ceres offered. Sailor Moon nodded.  
  
"You OK?" Venus asked.  
  
"Yeah," she nodded.   
  
"Look, she may have the tact of a punch in the mouth, but she's right about one thing: if you're going to do this, you're going to have to deal with a lot worse than that. And you can't hold back."  
  
"You want me to hurt her?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"Not in practice," Venus grinned. "But don't just go through the motions just because it's practice. Don't be afraid of getting hurt or of hurting someone else. Someday your life may depend on it."  
  
Sailor Moon nodded.   
  
"I wish I knew what Vesta's problem was," Ceres muttered, "besides the fact that she's a moron. I mean, you're the Princess! To act that way . . .!"  
  
"I didn't mind it that much," Sailor Moon said. "Well, I did mind getting beat up - - but so many people are always so cautious and deferential to me because 'I'm the Princess' - - Vesta may not like me, but at least I know where I stand with her." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "Are we done for today, Venus-san?"  
  
"What, are you getting lazy on me?" Venus asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Now we do a 'two-on-one' drill. Ladies, feel free to attack her."  
  
* * * *  
  
Class was still in session in the wing that held the ESP classroom. Off in a corner, Hotaru Tomoe was staring at a crystalline ruler, trying to lift it with her mind. The strain was quite evident on her face. The ruler itself was only a few ounces, but refused to budge for the longest time. Finally heaving in frustration, Hotaru flopped back on her chair.  
  
"Don't feel bad, Miss Hotaru Ma'am," Palla-Palla offered, leaning over Hotaru's shoulder. "You'll do it."  
  
"I'm beginning to wonder," Hotaru grimaced. "I can feel the power inside of me, but it won't do what I want. It was all I could do not to shove the ruler across the table."  
  
"Sensei says not to give up. Sensei says everything takes time to learn."  
  
"I bet you could do it," Hotaru whispered.  
  
"If Sailor Pallas were here, yes," Palla-Palla told her. "Palla-Palla can't lift things with her thoughts." Then Palla-Palla smiled joyfully. "But Palla-Palla is getting so good at not accidentally hearing people's thoughts or peeking in on what they're doing. And it took the longest time, too, but she finally did it."  
  
A tickle in the back of the brains of both girls caused them to turn around. There they found their teacher, Sun Jhong-Ju, standing over them. The wizened old Chinese man smiled kindly at them.  
  
"You do not progress at the rate you had hoped?" Jhong commented.  
  
"I didn't realize you were telepathic, too, Sensei," Hotaru said glumly.  
  
"I don't have to be telepathic to read the frustration in your face, Hotaru."  
  
"Why can't I do it? Hotaru asked. "I've been at this for months and it only comes when I don't want it to come!"  
  
"Lift the ruler for me," Jhong told her.  
  
Hotaru sighed in resignation and turned to the ruler. Her face pinched as she strained to lift it.  
  
"A question, child," Jhong asked. "If you were to lift it with your hand, would you tense and strain as if the ruler weighed a billion kilos?"  
  
"No," Hotaru said quietly.  
  
"Then why do you do so when you lift with your mind?"  
  
Hotaru couldn't answer.  
  
"You are blocking your flow of mental energy by straining so hard," he advised her. "You are also making your mind believe you will fail by straining so against so small an object."  
  
He gently touched her chest right over her heart.  
  
"You must be calm. Clear your mind of everything except the object you wish to move - - everything, even yourself. There is no you, just your mind. There is no room, just the ruler."  
  
His fingers lightly pressed to her temples. Hotaru closed her eyes.  
  
"Breathe in," he told her, "and out. Your body is gone. There is only your mind. Breathe in. The room is gone. There is only the ruler. Breathe out. Breathe in. Your mind has a hand. Slowly, gently, reach out and grasp the ruler. Breathe out. Lift the ruler up - - slowly. Breathe in. Now slowly open your eyes."  
  
Hotaru did as she was told. Before her floated the ruler, hovering in wobbly flight eight inches from her nose.   
  
"MISS HOTARU MA'AM, YOU DID IT!" squealed Palla-Palla.  
  
The ruler promptly fell into Hotaru's lap.  
  
"Oopsie," whispered Palla-Palla. "Palla-Palla's sorry."  
  
"No, it's my fault for not keeping concentration," Hotaru said, her mouth pulling into a smile. "Thank you for your help, Sensei."  
  
"You're welcomed," Jhong smiled back. "As you practice . . ."  
  
A soft, frightened squeal from Palla-Palla interrupted them. Turning, they saw the girl looked distressed.  
  
"You are having a thought or vision from elsewhere?" Jhong asked her.   
  
"Someone cried out," Palla-Palla said faintly, still rattled by the sudden sensation. "Palla-Palla heard her cry out in her mind. She was in a lot of pain."  
  
"Did you recognize who it was?" Jhong inquired.  
  
"No, Sensei. Palla-Palla isn't even sure it was human. She's never heard thoughts like that before."  
  
"Perhaps it was not of this earth. Perhaps you heard a cry from a spirit in despair or from another world. Your potential is quite vast."  
  
Palla-Palla nodded. "Palla-Palla's sorry she wasn't concentrating either, Sensei."  
  
"You do better every day," he smiled, his hand caressing her head. "I don't expect perfection yet. And you must remember that particularly sharp, violent thoughts may still pierce your mental barrier." He turned to his other student. "Now, Hotaru-chan, to your problem."  
  
Hotaru looked up eagerly.  
  
"As you practice, your need to clear your mind and focus your thoughts will become less and less necessary. As you practice, you will be able to lift heavier objects and for longer periods." Jhong grew serious and pointed a warning finger at her. "What you must not lose is your calm center. As you practice, your power will come no matter what your emotions are. But during periods of fear or anger, you will not have control. Control will only come from your calm center. Remember this."  
  
"I will, Sensei," Hotaru nodded.  
  
"Good. Now pick the ruler up again with your mind and place it back on the table."  
  
* * * *  
  
Ves-Ves was in her room. Though the four Amazons shared a single quarters, each girl had her own personal room. Serenity thought it best for them to ease their transition into the palace and the Amazons heartily agreed. Being orphans and runaways, the four girls had come to depend upon each other for emotional support and surrogate family security.   
  
Being fifteen, though, meant an increased need for privacy and personal space.  
  
The bed in the room remained untouched since the housekeeping robots had made it that morning. The chair in front of her desk sat empty. Ves-Ves was curled up in the darkest corner of the room. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her arms were wrapped around the lower limbs. The girl stared at the dark, not really seeing, for she was lost in her own brooding thoughts. Her brow was knit and her pretty mouth was pulled down into a frown. The world passed unnoticed as she sat in the safety of the dark.  
  
"Minako Aino desires entry," chimed the computer control on the door lock.  
  
Ves-Ves sighed in frustration. She really didn't want to talk to anybody right now. She didn't want to hear Sensei Aino-sama's lecture. She knew her temper had gotten away from her and made a mess of things. Why couldn't everybody just let it fade into history - - pretend it never happened?  
  
If it were anybody else, she would have told them to go away, even ignore the page. Why did it have to be her?  
  
"Let her in," Ves-Ves whispered.  
  
Minako entered just far enough to allow the door to close, then leaned back against it. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but her face was neutral.   
  
Ves-Ves was in trouble.  
  
"You want to explain what happened back there?" Minako asked. Her toneless voice was both a challenge to Ves-Ves and a warning.  
  
"I lost my head," Ves-Ves extracted with some difficulty, "just like you warned me not to."  
  
"I think you did a little more than that," Minako responded with a critical eye. "You were ready to gut Usa in there."  
  
"I lost my head," Ves-Ves offered again, looking away in humiliation.  
  
"We've established that," Minako told her. "Why?"  
  
"She wasn't fighting fair!"  
  
"We've gone over this. There's no 'fair' in fighting an enemy. There's only winning."  
  
"Then using that logic, I didn't do anything wrong!"  
  
"In the real world, no," Minako said. "If that's what you have to do to keep your opponent from hurting what you're supposed to be guarding, that's what you do. But this was practice - - and she's not an enemy - - isn't she?"  
  
"Oh, so it's fair for her to nearly break my ankle with her tiara, huh? Is that because she's the Princess?"  
  
"It's because you left yourself open to it," Minako told her. "You were too busy enjoying having taken royalty down a peg." She let Ves-Ves think that over for a moment. "Every pleasure in life comes with a cost. Sucks, but that's the way it is. Was it worth it?"  
  
Ves-Ves glared at nothing.  
  
"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?" muttered Ves-Ves.  
  
"If you meant it."  
  
"What makes you think I don't mean it?"  
  
"Your history."  
  
Ves-Ves glared into the dark.  
  
"You still can't seem to get over the fact that the princess is Usa. Usa's a nice kid - - I even think you're beginning to like her - - but she's still the princess and that means on a certain level she's the enemy and not to be trusted." Minako stared at Ves-Ves for a moment. "You know, just because she didn't have as rough a childhood as you did doesn't mean she didn't have a rough childhood."  
  
A rude snort erupted from Ves-Ves.  
  
"Sure she's had privilege - - but she's also had crazy space aliens trying to hunt her down and kill her when she was only five years old. She had her best friend rip her heart crystal out of her chest and use it to try to destroy the world." Minako wandered toward Ves-Ves as she spoke. "And she's always had to deal with people hating her or being afraid of her because of what she is instead of who she is."  
  
Ves-Ves squinted in frustration and anger.  
  
"Now I know it's hard for you to trust a lot of people," Minako began.  
  
"I trust people," Ves-Ves spat out.  
  
"Besides your 'sisters'?"  
  
Ves-Ves stared off into the dark.  
  
"I trust you."  
  
A lump formed in Minako's throat. "See, you've obviously got brains," she quipped. "Which is why I can't understand why you can't figure out that not every authority figure is automatically the enemy. You set out to show Usa up today."  
  
Ves-Ves ground her teeth.  
  
"It blew up in your face and you threw a hissy fit. I expected more than that from someone with your brains."  
  
"Then maybe I shouldn't be a senshi," her anger said.  
  
"Hey, it's your call, kid. Serenity's not into forcing people to do anything they don't want to do. If you don't want to do it, say the word." She paused for dramatic effect. "I think it'd be a waste."  
  
"I can't quit," Ves-Ves scowled. "That'd be a one-way ticket back to Brasilia!"  
  
Minako sighed. "Gods, sometimes you can be so thick. You've been here how long and you still haven't figured out that Serenity doesn't work like that?" Minako headed for the door. "If you're going to quit, at least have the common decency to let me know before you leave. Otherwise I expect you to be in class tomorrow morning at eight." Minako turned back to the girl and smiled wickedly. "AND with a ten page essay on why it's essential to keep your cool in a fight and trust your teammates."  
  
"Ten pages!" howled Ves-Ves.  
  
"You're right," Minako smirked. "Better make it fifteen - - single spaced and with proper margins."  
  
As Minako exited, she heard the girl's head thud against the wall. Her amusement was short-lived, though. Out in the hall Minako found Ami waiting for her.  
  
"I heard about what happened," Ami said.   
  
"I think I've got it handled," Minako replied. They walked down the corridor.   
  
"You really don't think this is acceptable behavior, do you?"  
  
"Not unless Usa asked for it," Minako smiled. "And I was there. She didn't ask for it."  
  
"Given Ves-Ves's psychological profile . . ." Ami began.  
  
"Hold on, Ami. Yeah, the kid's had a rough life. She's got a lot of anger in her and it doesn't always find a good outlet. But I'm not ready to stamp 'psycho' on her head and toss her into the trash can."  
  
Ami sighed. "Your thinking process has never left the twenty-first century. State of the art psychological therapy can do a great deal of good to those in need of it."  
  
"She doesn't need your fancy head-shrinking computers. What she needs is a support group she can trust to always be there for her," Minako countered, "and some discipline. In a way, she's not much different than Usa. She needs guidance. She needs someone to prop her up when she's feeling low and smack her down when she gets too full of herself."  
  
"I hope you're right," Ami said, "for her sake."  
  
"Of course I'm right. Who was Sailor V here?"  
  
Ami groaned and walked off.  
  
* * * *  
  
The king was nestled in his favorite chair, apparently doing one of his least favorite things: reviewing energy transmission reports for Crystal Tokyo and all of Japan. One hand massaged his temple as his head bent forward to look at the computer screen.  
  
The queen was poised impishly at the door. With a devilish smirk on her pretty face, she crept silently along the floor, stalking him as a tiger stalked prey. Nearer she inched, scarcely breathing, the hem of her gown mentally held aloft an inch from the floor so as not to drag across it. Her prey showed no sign that he noticed her. Closer she crept - - closer - - until finally she struck.  
  
"I love you, I love you, I love you!" Serenity squealed, wrapping her arms around Endymion's neck from behind and pressing her cheek to his. "You're mine and I'm never going to let you go!"  
  
It was as that moment that she sensed his distress.  
  
"Endymion!" Serenity gasped, pulling back so she could better see him. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I think it's just a headache," Endymion grimaced, rubbing his temple. "I'll be all right."  
  
"Are you sure? I'll call Ami!"  
  
"No, don't bother her with this. I'll be fine."  
  
"Or we can try this," Serenity suggested. She leaned in and kissed him on his throbbing temple.  
  
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try that," Endymion smirked. Seizing Serenity, he pulled the squealing queen down onto his lap and leaned in to kiss her. But just as suddenly he pulled back, grasping at his temple again.  
  
"That does it! I'm calling Ami!" Serenity declared.  
  
"Calling Ami won't help," Endymion replied. Serenity was lifted back up and deposited on her feet so he could rise. "I have to call someplace else."  
  
"Where?" Serenity asked as she watched her husband head for the roof of the palace.  
  
"Elysian," he responded.  
  
Continued in Chapter 2 


	2. A Cry For Help

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
Chapter 2: "A Cry For Help"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
"Ves-Ves, are you trying to get pitched out of Crystal Tokyo on your ear?" Cere-Cere howled as she entered the central living room. The room was linked to each of the four bedrooms and was shared by the four Asteroid Senshi.  
  
The only response was a pillow fired from Ves-Ves's room that hit Cere-Cere squarely in the face.  
  
"Nice aim," Jun-Jun commented, leaning against the door.   
  
"OH! THERE AREN'T WORDS TO DESCRIBE JUST HOW MUCH I HATE YOU!" bellowed Cere-Cere.  
  
"She's got a point, though," Jun-Jun continued.  
  
"Don't," came a voice from the darkened room. "Sensei Aino-sama already gave me the lecture. I know I lost my cool, but sometimes I just can't help it. The Princess can be such a brat sometimes."  
  
"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!" fumed Cere-Cere. Another pillow flew out and struck her in the face.  
  
"You're going to run out of pillows pretty soon," Jun-Jun cautioned.  
  
"Then I'll throw something else," Ves-Ves replied from the dark. "Something HEAVIER!"  
  
"PTTTTTTTTTTTT!" responded Cere-Cere.  
  
"OK, Usa can be a brat," shrugged Jun-Jun. "We're all brats at one time or another - - except for Hotaru. She's about the nicest person I've ever met. But even princesses are allowed to be brats, you know. Makes them human."  
  
"It's just," Ves-Ves struggled, "it makes me mad sometimes. Like the way she treats The King and Queen. She's got great parents and she treats them so rotten sometimes. If she thinks they're bad parents, she should have grown up with mine! I'd trade places with her in a minute!"  
  
"I think we all would," Jun-Jun said. "But you can't let it eat at you, Ves. You can't let it drive you to do stuff like today. Remember what Sensei Kino-sama always tells us about our actions following us around. If you want people to know you've reformed, you've got to act like you've reformed. That means you've got to take twice as much stuff as before and not strike back."  
  
"I know," Ves-Ves huffed. "I'm sorry I let you guys down."  
  
"We're not the ones you should apologize to," Jun-Jun told her.  
  
"Although we'll take it," Cere-Cere added.  
  
"Man," groaned Ves-Ves. "Can't I just perform Seppuku instead?"  
  
"Everybody, everybody!" squealed Palla-Palla as she raced into the room. "Palla-Palla learned a new trick!"  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Ves-Ves said, coming out of her room. "What kind of trick?"  
  
"Sensei taught Palla-Palla! It's so fantastic!"  
  
"So what is it?" Ves-Ves asked.  
  
"That was it!"  
  
"What was it?" Ves-Ves scowled.  
  
"Palla-Palla sent her thoughts into your brain," Palla-Palla squealed. Everyone stared.  
  
"Is she making this up?" Ves-Ves asked.  
  
"Apparently not," Jun-Jun replied. "All we heard was 'Palla-Palla learned a new trick'."  
  
"And then you started giving answers when there weren't any questions," Cere-Cere added. "I figured you finally lost it."   
  
"Can you do that with anyone?" Jun-Jun asked.  
  
"Not yet," Palla-Palla replied contritely. "Sensei says Palla-Palla can only do it with the people she's closest to. He said that the more work she does, the more people she can do it with."  
  
"S-So right now only I can hear you?" Ves-Ves asked, her eyes misting and a timid smile forming on her face. Palla-Palla nodded vigorously. "Thanks."  
  
Palla-Palla beamed happily.  
  
"And I can think back to you?" Ves-Ves asked. Palla-Palla nodded again. Ves-Ves grinned. Suddenly Palla-Palla began laughing.  
  
"Ves-Ves, you better not be talking about me!" snapped Cere-Cere.  
  
* * * *  
  
Serenity sat on the balcony overlooking her prized garden. Though the sun was in the process of setting, casting the entire garden in a lovely scarlet light, Serenity paid it no heed. Her thoughts were on her husband who sat ten feet from her. He was in deep concentration, communicating mentally with someone in Elysian through the power of the Golden Crystal that he possessed. Serenity could have joined into the communication, but she held back. It seemed to her that to do such a thing would be an intrusion.  
  
So she waited patiently for him to finish, despite the sensations of anxiety she was receiving from him.  
  
"What's with Dad?" she heard Usa ask. Reflexively Serenity reached out and caught her daughter's hand in hers.   
  
"Your father is communicating with Elysian," Serenity told her and felt the hand in hers tense.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Usa asked anxiously.  
  
"That's what he's trying to find out," the queen whispered.  
  
Then Endymion's face relaxed and his eyes opened. Serenity inched forward on her chair.  
  
"Endymion?" she inquired.  
  
"I was talking to Helios," Endymion said, breathless from his mental exertion.  
  
"Is he all right?" Usa demanded.  
  
"Yes. But they seem to be having some problems in Elysian. I suggested I come and help him investigate and he agreed."  
  
"I'm coming with you!" Usa declared.  
  
"Oh, are you?" her father asked.  
  
"Daddy, you have to let me go with you! If Helios needs help, I have to be there! Daddy, please!"  
  
"Endymion," Serenity interceded. "Perhaps it would be a good experience for her."  
  
The king grimaced. Endymion had enough trouble resisting the soulful, pleading eyes of his wife. He had almost as much trouble resisting his daughter, who seemed to have instinctively learned the same trick. When they double-teamed him, he knew he couldn't win.  
  
"All right," Endymion said, then quickly added, "but you're taking the Asteroid Senshi, too!"  
  
"We'll be ready in an hour! Thank you, Daddy!" Usa squealed. She quickly pecked him on the cheek and raced back into the palace. Endymion shook his head.  
  
"Don't feel bad," Serenity smiled. "I used to wrap my father around my little finger, too. Is it as bad as I sensed?"  
  
"Helios is concerned," Endymion replied, the brevity of his statement enough to convey the gravity of the situation. Helios didn't become concerned easily.  
  
"Then I'll get ready to travel," Serenity said. Endymion caught her hand.  
  
"You're not going."  
  
"But Endymion . . .!"  
  
"Someone needs to stay and take care of Crystal Tokyo. With my connection to the Golden Crystal and its connection to Elysian, I'm the logical one to go." Serenity's eyes grew moist. "And THAT'S not going to work."  
  
Serenity pouted.  
  
"Don't," he warned. "You know I'm right."  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," the queen huffed.  
  
Endymion pecked his wife on the cheek and went to prepare for the trip to Elysian. Serenity followed him in with her gaze and tried not to worry.  
  
* * * *  
  
The Asteroid Senshi hurried down the hall toward the central classroom. The sudden summons from Makoto out of the blue had them all uneasy.  
  
"Wonder what's up?" Sailor Vesta wondered aloud.  
  
"Maybe they're finally kicking you out of here," needled Sailor Ceres.  
  
"Maybe so," Vesta mumbled. Ceres experienced a pang of guilt.  
  
"Why would they be kicking Vesta out?" Pallas asked, her eyes moist and fearful.  
  
"'Cause I did something real dumb," Vesta told her. She wouldn't look at Pallas.  
  
"So? Pallas is dumb all of the time! Juno? They can't send Vesta away, can they? Pallas would miss her very, very much!"  
  
"Relax, Pallas. I don't think this is about Vesta," Juno told her.  
  
"Pallas hopes not. Pallas doesn't want Vesta to ever leave."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, Stupid," Vesta said, her arm on Pallas' shoulder. "Somebody's got to look out for you."  
  
The four found Sailor Saturn waiting at the door.  
  
"Do you know what's going on?" Ceres asked Saturn.  
  
"No. I just got a call from Hino-san telling me to come here," Saturn reported.  
  
The girls all hesitated at the door, reluctant to approach it.  
  
"Well," Vesta sighed, pushing past the others toward the door, "let's all find out together."  
  
In the classroom, the four original senshi were waiting. The gravity of their expressions instantly sobered the five girls.  
  
"Thank you all for arriving so quickly," Ami said, staring down her glasses at them. "To be concise, King Endymion has been in contact with Elysian. There's some sort of unknown trouble. He and the Princess are traveling there to investigate."  
  
"That means you're all going, too," Minako added, then looked squarely at Vesta. "That is, IF you all can act like you deserve to be senshi. Teamwork and concentration on the mission is essential. If that's going to be a problem, let us know now."  
  
Vesta squared her shoulders and started to speak, but Juno spoke first.  
  
"That won't be a problem, Sensei Aino-sama," she said firmly. "We know our jobs and we won't let you or the Princess down."  
  
Minako stared, challenging them to be more convincing.  
  
"Please, Miss Minako Ma'am!" Pallas cried. "Vesta is very sorry for whatever she did and she'll be a really, really good girl! Honest! Don't send her away, please!"  
  
The original senshi were all surprised by the girl's outburst. Seeing her distress, Makoto came over and knelt next to Pallas.  
  
"Nobody's going to be sent away, Honey," Makoto told her, her arm securely around the frightened girl. She turned to Minako. "Right, Blondie?"  
  
Minako took a second, but recovered her jaunty personality.   
  
"Nah," she grinned. "She's not going to be sent away. That'd be going way too easy on her."  
  
"You believe us, don't you?" Makoto asked Pallas. Pallas sniffed and nodded. "All right then. Let's see you smile." Pallas responded with a grin so wide that it forced her to squint.  
  
"OK, any other questions or concerns?" Rei prompted. "Then be on the heli-pad by top of the hour ready to travel or you get left behind."  
  
The five girls nodded and scampered off. As they left, Saturn nudged Juno.  
  
"What did Vesta do now?" Saturn asked.  
  
"Later," Juno said.  
  
* * * *  
  
Dust swirled in a circular pattern atop the open-air courtyard of the Temple Of Dreaming. It was like unto a whirlwind, rising up fifteen feet in the air before reaching its apex. Then the swirling wind died away, revealing the travelers within.   
  
Helios, Guardian of Beautiful Dreams, was there to greet the travelers. His silvery white hair blew like the mane of a charging horse, though his face was as ever placid. His slim yet powerful body held itself back though he wished to run to the whirlwind. For at the last moment he sensed the presence of an unexpected guest.  
  
Flanking him was his mother, Candide, on his right, and on his left a slim beauty with aqua hair, dressed in the low-cut gown of a temple maiden.  
  
"King Endymion," Helios bowed to the tall man at the center of the courtyard. Endymion, in his pastel gray tuxedo and cape, bowed in return. "You grace us with your presence in our time of peril."  
  
Only then did he allow himself to turn to the pink-haired girl to Endymion's right.  
  
"Maiden," he exclaimed, the tremor in his voice betraying the emotion he felt.  
  
"Helios!" Sailor Moon cried out.  
  
She broke from the group, ran up to him and fell into his waiting arms. The couple embraced passionately, molding their bodies to one another in order to assuage their sudden burst of desire. It was a few seconds before Usa sensed the eyes boring holes in her back. Turning, she found her father staring. He said nothing, betrayed no expression of disapproval, but it was evident in his rigid body language that he was valiantly holding himself back from reclaiming HIS daughter from the grasp of this youthful interloper. Sailor Moon rolled her eyes and reluctantly relinquished Helios.   
  
"Aww!" sighed Ceres. "They're just SO cute together."  
  
"King Endymion," Candide said, offering her hand and drawing everyone's attention away from the awkward situation. "I'm so glad to see you again." Endymion took it and kissed the back of the hand. "Charming as ever. Please convey my respects to your lovely wife."  
  
Just then, Ceres noticed the temple maiden. She stared at the maiden, first in confusion, then in stunned recognition. Barely able to contain herself, she nudged Juno and whispered something to her. Juno looked and her surprise confirmed her sister's suspicions. They both passed their discovery on to Vesta. Drawn by the activity, Sailor Pallas and Sailor Saturn each looked on her own.  
  
"Lookee!" squealed Pallas, pointing to the maiden amid startled looks from the adults. "It's Miss Fisheye Sir!"  
  
"You know her?" Saturn asked.  
  
Sailor Moon and King Endymion looked harder at the embarrassed temple maiden. The king reacted in surprise, while all the color drained from Sailor Moon's face. The Asteroid Senshi scampered over, surrounding Fisheye.  
  
"What are you doing here, Fish?" Vesta asked bluntly.  
  
"Yeah, we thought Queen Neherenia got you along with the others!" gasped Juno.  
  
"Helios," whispered Sailor Moon, leaning close to her love's ear. "Do you know about . . .?"  
  
"Yes, My Little Maiden," Helios smiled placidly. "I am familiar with every aspect of Fisheye's previous life."  
  
"I realize this may be a shock," Fisheye ventured, humble and meek. He turned to the Asteroid Senshi. "I almost died at the hand of Queen Neherenia, just as you all thought. It was only through the kindness and mercy of Lord Helios that I, and Hawk's Eye and Tiger's Eye were able to survive. He," and Fisheye stumbled, overtaken with emotion, "gave us our dream, girls! And he brought us here to this magical paradise - - oh girls, it's such a blessing! I know I didn't do anything to deserve being blessed like this, but I'm so grateful!"  
  
"Yeah, we can tell," Juno smiled.  
  
"Kind of 'been there, done that'," Ceres nodded. "I like the new look. Beats those old rags you used to wear."  
  
Sailor Moon looked at Helios with confusion.  
  
"I was in need of a temple maiden," Helios explained. "A replacement for dear departed Evionne. Fisheye was a, well, unique candidate, but one I feel confident will be a choice beneficial to all. Much in the way your senshi can benefit more than just yourself."  
  
Fisheye approached Sailor Moon and bowed.  
  
"Please believe that I mean you no harm, Princess," Fisheye told her. "I did terrible things to you and wouldn't blame you if you never forgave me. But Lord Helios and your mother before him opened my eyes and showed me just how wrong I was and just how much my desperation to be human and to dream beautiful dreams hurt everyone else. Lord Helios has seen fit to give me a chance to do penance and to help more people than I hurt before. I swear to you that I won't let him or you down."  
  
Buoyed by Fisheye's words, Sailor Moon returned a hopeful smile.  
  
"Besides, I'd just die if I let down someone as cute as Helios," Fisheye murmured to Sailor Moon with a shy smile. "Why he's almost as hot as your dad."  
  
The smile froze on Sailor Moon's face as the color drained from it.  
  
"Um, we all wish you success," Endymion interjected. "Now, what exactly is the threat Elysian is facing?"  
  
As Endymion turned to Helios and Candide, Sailor Moon inched back to the comfort and security of Saturn's presence. Her friend looked at her strangely.  
  
"Sailor Moon?" Saturn whispered. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Fisheye thinks Helios and my dad are hot," Sailor Moon said softly, then made a face. "Eyewwww."  
  
"Well, a lot of girls think Helios and the king are hot," Saturn offered. "They're both very handsome."  
  
"Saturn - - Fisheye is a guy."  
  
Suddenly the color drained from Saturn's face.  
  
Without warning, the sparkling blue of Elysian's day darkened. The overhead sun was blotted out, plunging the paradise of dreams into an eerie dusk. A canopy of violet hung over the temple grounds. Murmurs of anxiety could be heard from the population and tension filled the air.  
  
"What's going on?" gasped Sailor Moon. She and Saturn pivoted so they were back to back. Saturn's glaive was at the ready, while Sailor Moon produced the Crescent Wand.  
  
And out of the blue the air was pierced with a high-pitched shriek of sheer terror. Everyone turned to the sound and found Sailor Pallas cowering on the ground.  
  
"Pallas, what is it?" Vesta demanded, kneeling next to her fallen sister.  
  
"Scary!" wailed Pallas. "Pallas is afraid!"  
  
"It's just dark!" Vesta told her. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"  
  
"No, scary thoughts! Pallas can hear them! She can't shut them out!"  
  
"What kind of thoughts, Pallas?" Juno asked.  
  
"Bad thoughts! Scary and evil swirling all around! They go everywhere but don't go anywhere! They want to choke Pallas! They want to pull her down into the darkness!"  
  
"Who's thinking them?" Ceres asked.  
  
"Pallas doesn't know!" The senshi buried her head under her arms. "Pallas wants to go home!"  
  
Endymion turned on Helios and Candide.  
  
"Is this the threat?" he asked.  
  
"There can be no doubt," Candide replied gravely, "though it has never manifested to this degree before. I am sorry for your companion. I fear she may be but the latest victim of this scourge."  
  
The violet and indigo of the skies seemed to swirl around them. It became a dizzying maelstrom above them and seemed to close in around them, looming over them all. Sailor Moon noticed the worried looks on the Asteroid Senshi as they searched the heavens for something, perhaps some confirmation of an unspoken fear. Then she noticed Fisheye. Fisheye, too, cast worried looks to the sky as if he knew what was surrounding them but prayed to the gods that he was wrong. And where was Ravonna, the other temple maiden, in all of this? Of them all, she would be most likely to know what threatened them.  
  
"Sailor Moon, look!" cried Saturn.  
  
Up in the sky the colors had merged into black and pulsed with unholy life. The sky seemed to writhe like a pit of snakes, identifiable by the thin, shifting slits of blue that peeked through. An image began to shimmer above them, taking shape.  
  
"Damn it, who are you!" bellowed Vesta in impotent rage.  
  
The image became clearer. Pale white skin, blood red lips, violet eyes that reflected your fear like arcade mirrors - - it was a sight Sailor Moon hoped never to see again. And if she loathed the very sight of her, how were Fisheye and the senshi reacting?  
  
"Sailor Moon, it's," Saturn whispered, giving voice to their fears as the image took final shape, "Queen Neherenia."  
  
Continued in Chapter 3 


	3. Sense Of Anarchy

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 3: "Sense Of Anarchy"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
"It's Queen Neherenia," gasped Sailor Saturn as everyone looked up at the apparition blotting out the sky above them. "But isn't she dead?"  
  
"Can something like her be killed?" asked Fisheye fretfully.  
  
"Well something like her can be beaten," Sailor Moon declared resolutely, "because we all did it!" She brandished her Crescent Moon Wand. "Moon Healing Escalation!"  
  
Sparkling pink particles fanned out from the wand and were caught by a wind from nowhere. They were carried aloft to the looming figure of Neherenia above them. The specter leered down at them with malicious intent, oblivious to the onrushing particles. As each one landed on her, it began to coat the vision and radiate a soft pink light. More and more of Neherenia was covered by the pink particles until the radiant light overwhelmed her and she dissipated like a puff of smoke. The skies, turned an odd lavender by the radiated light, slowly regained their soft blue coloring.  
  
"You did it, Sailor Moon!" Saturn exclaimed proudly.  
  
"Not totally," Vesta interrupted gruffly. "Pallas is still in a bad way!" The young senshi in Vesta's arms still cringed from an assault only she sensed.  
  
"Then Neherenia's still here," Sailor Juno said.  
  
"Queen Neherenia is gone," pronounced Helios. "She is long dead, killed by her own vanity and the lack of charity in her heart." He noticed Sailor Moon's quizzical look. "What you fought was an illusion, Maiden."  
  
"Cast by our real foe?" Endymion asked. "And you know who it is, right?"  
  
"I had hoped I was wrong," Helios responded. "This latest incident only confirms my suspicions." Helios paused a moment while all eyes fell upon him. "I fear it is Echidna, my counterpart in the dream worlds."  
  
"Counterpart?" Sailor Moon asked. "I thought you ruled Elysian alone."  
  
Helios smiled. "I rule nothing, Maiden, save myself. I am guardian of beautiful dreams and this part of Elysian is where those beautiful dreams reside. However . . ."  
  
"However, logically, there must be an opposite," Saturn deduced. "We have both beautiful dreams and nightmares, so those nightmares must have a guardian as well, right?"  
  
"That is Echidna," nodded Helios. "She guards nightmares and the realm they exist in - - the border place to Elysian. However, she seeks to spread her control, expand it into Elysian and the part of the human mind that Elysian serves. I knew it was her after this incident. She used the buried fears of so many of you based on your memories of Queen Neherenia to sow chaos and discord among us."  
  
"And it worked, too," muttered Ceres.  
  
"Fine," growled Vesta. "Point me to where she is and I'll take care of her!"  
  
"Down, Vesta," scowled Juno. "Why is she doing this?"  
  
Helios looked down, pained by what he was about to say. "She is mad. Nightmares are a simmering cauldron of fear, suspicion and pain. No one, not even mystical beings such as myself, could experience so much chaos and horror without succumbing to it. She attempts this because she cannot see the balance she will be destroying should she succeed. We must find her and we must restore the balance."  
  
"Come," Candide said, kneeling down where Vesta cradled Pallas. "Please bring your friend. We will provide a place where she can find some comfort during her ordeal."  
  
Vesta lifted Pallas up and carried her, following Candide to a building near the temple. The others followed behind.  
  
"What exactly happened to her?" Juno inquired.  
  
"Those who are blessed with gifts of sight seem particularly vulnerable to Echidna's intrusions," Candide explained.  
  
They entered the building, a tall structure built to classic Greek architecture. Inside, they found beds. Several of the beds held citizens of Elysian. They rested somewhat peacefully, though it was easy to spot the fevered condition of their minds.  
  
"Ravonna!" Sailor Moon gasped, moving to the beautiful blonde woman in the far bed. The woman's eyes were closed. Her brow was knit and a grimace adorned her mouth. "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"She is lost in a nightmare which she has yet to awaken from," Helios said, his hand comforting on her shoulder. "She was the first to fall. Ravonna has been like this for two days. In that time, more have fallen to the spell." He looked down at her with despair. "I have tried to enter her dream, but Echidna's hold on her is too strong and I cannot get through to her."  
  
"And that could happen to Pallas?" Vesta demanded.  
  
"It may."  
  
"So what are we standing around for? Let's go!"  
  
"Go where?" Ceres posed. "Do you know where this nightmare lady is?"  
  
"No, but I bet he does!" Vesta snarled, glaring at Helios.   
  
"I do," Helios replied gently. "When we have arrived at a plan of attack, we will move. But we must proceed with caution."  
  
"And meanwhile Pallas might become a zombie?" Vesta began to advance threateningly on Helios, but Sailor Moon interceded.  
  
"Calm down, Vesta," Sailor Moon advised her. "Helios knows what he's doing."  
  
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Vesta spat out, shoving Sailor Moon. "JUST BECAUSE HE'S YOUR SQUEEZE . . .!"  
  
"Vesta!" Juno barked, grabbing the girl by the arm. "Remember what Sensei Aino-sama said about keeping your head!"  
  
Vesta stopped, clearly struggling between obeying the words she knew were right and fulfilling her desire to help Pallas.  
  
"They are wise words," Helios told her. "More so now, as anger and violent emotions only feed Echidna's power."  
  
That statement hit Vesta with the impact of a hammer. The strength seemed to leave her frame. She stumbled backwards and landed by the bed that held Pallas. A weak hand reached out and brushed her red hair.  
  
"Don't worry, Vesta," Pallas said weakly. "Pallas promises not to listen to the bad voices. Honest."  
  
"You better not, Stupid," Vesta squeaked out.  
  
"You know the lay of the land, Helios," Endymion said, trying to pull everyone's attention away from the blow-up. "How do you think we should proceed?"  
  
"I suggest a divided approach, Your Majesty," Helios replied. "I will confront her directly and try to rein in her madness. It would be best if you circle from behind. If my efforts should fail, you will be able to - - contain her with the power of the Golden Crystal."  
  
"You don't want to destroy her?" Saturn asked.  
  
"No," Helios replied. "Echidna and her nightmare realm are as essential to human life as Elysian. To destroy her would be to destroy the balance and throw everything into an artifice of numb, mindless bliss. Humanity would be little more than contented sheep; their line would stop, stagnate and wither away. The destruction of Echidna would be as calamitous as her victory."  
  
"We'll try it your way, Helios," Endymion said.  
  
"I'm going with you," Sailor Moon declared to Helios.  
  
"Maiden," he began.  
  
"Don't argue with me!"  
  
"I learned long ago that such actions are folly," Helios smirked. "I merely wished to warn you that Echidna's power is strongest within her realm. You will need a cool head and all of your courage if you intend to tread the path I will tread."  
  
"Hey," Sailor Moon flashed him a grin, "this Sailor Moon doesn't scare."   
  
"Maybe I better stay behind," Vesta said uneasily. "You say anger feeds her power. The way I've been going lately, I wouldn't want to sabotage any of you. I'll just guard Pallas."   
  
Sailor Moon walked up to Vesta and offered her hand.  
  
"Who says you'll sabotage anybody?" she said. Vesta looked up at her. "I'm going to need somebody to guard our backs. You're probably the best candidate for the job." She nodded to a bruise on her arm. "I know that from personal experience."  
  
Vesta continued to stare at the offered hand. Finally, wordlessly, she took it and gained her feet.  
  
"Juno, why don't you, Ceres and Saturn go with Dad," Sailor Moon suggested.   
  
"Whatever you say, Princess," Juno nodded.  
  
"Fisheye and I will stay with your friend," Candide told them. "No harm will come to her."  
  
"Don't worry, Vesta," Vesta heard Pallas say. "Pallas will wait for you."   
  
She turned and looked at Pallas. The girl gave her a weak smile in return. Only then did Vesta realize that Pallas had spoken to her telepathically. Tears welled up in Vesta's eyes, but she nodded at Pallas, acknowledging the message.  
  
Sailor Moon watched the silent exchange, wondering again about the complex relationship between Sailor Vesta and Sailor Pallas. Then she felt her father behind her.  
  
"Honey," he said, his hands on her upper arms. Endymion looked at her strangely, concerned and wary.  
  
"Dad, if you're worried about me and Helios," Sailor Moon began.  
  
"No," he smiled, genuinely amused. "It may not always seem like it, but I think the world of Helios. My beautiful baby girl couldn't have picked a better beau for herself. I think you'll both make a wonderful couple - - when you're both older."  
  
Sailor Moon rolled her eyes and blew at her bangs.  
  
"I just want you to be careful, Usa," Endymion continued.  
  
"Daddy," sighed Sailor Moon.  
  
"I mean it. This is a dangerous situation. Please be cautious. At times like this, over-confidence can be fatal."  
  
"I will, Dad."  
  
"I love you, Honey," he said, gently brushing the bangs from her face. "I want you to know that."  
  
"Tell me when you see me again," Sailor Moon grinned. However, Endymion didn't release his grip.  
  
"Take it from an old man who's had more than his share of regrets over the years: It's better to get something like that out in the open and not need it than not and wish you had."  
  
Sailor Moon stared up into the face of her father.  
  
"OK," she whispered. "I-I love you too, Daddy."  
  
Endymion kissed her on her cheek. "And that was a nice thing you did for Sailor Vesta."  
  
As he moved off, Sailor Moon watched him. Why, she wondered, couldn't he be like this all the time? Saturn approached.  
  
"You take care," Saturn said.  
  
"You, too," grinned Sailor Moon. "I want to hear everything about how your side of the mission goes. Don't cheat me now."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it," Saturn smiled. "And keep your mind on your mission."  
  
"Gonna be hard," Sailor Moon smirked back.  
  
After the Asteroid Senshi said their good-byes, Vesta joined Sailor Moon and Helios.  
  
"So, how do we get there," Vesta asked quietly. "Do we walk?"  
  
"It is not necessary," Helios replied. Before their eyes, his body transformed into his Pegasus form. Reflexively Sailor Moon's hand sought out his nose and gently caressed it.   
  
"Are you going to be able to carry us both?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"I have a broad back," Pegasus answered, projecting his thoughts into their minds, "and neither of you are so heavy that I cannot carry you aloft."  
  
"It's a good thing you said that," Sailor Moon smirked, giving him a playfully evil eye.  
  
"Among my many talents is diplomacy," Pegasus thought back. Sailor Moon accepted the jab with an amused glare. Then she noticed Vesta's glum expression and sobered.  
  
"We'd better go," she said. "Climb on, Vesta."  
  
Vesta obeyed, straddling the back of Pegasus just behind Sailor Moon. The two felt his powerful frame brace against the ground, then push off into the air with a powerful beat of his wings and equally powerful thrust of his legs. The feel of Pegasus beneath her again sent Sailor Moon's heart racing. The rush of air around her as they ascended into the sky made her giddy. Her hands pressed against his neck to steady herself and she felt his blood pulsing. A thrill passed through her.  
  
Then she felt Vesta's hands around her waist. Vesta was steadying herself, too. Sailor Moon glanced back and again spotted the glum expression on her face.  
  
"Vesta, what's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Vesta replied, embarrassed at being caught.  
  
"Do not feel guilty," Pegasus advised Vesta, though Sailor Moon 'heard' him, too. "Sailor Pallas does not suffer because of you. She suffers because she is more susceptible to the influence of Echidna."  
  
"But you said anger makes her stronger," Vesta mumbled. "What if my little tantrum let her get to Pallas?"  
  
"And are you the only one in the universe capable of anger?" Pegasus asked. "Your outburst strengthened her, but no more so than the billions of violent outbursts on Earth every hour of every day. You are one voice of a chorus raised in anger. Her strength would have been little dimmed regardless of what you did. Let the punishment fit the crime, Sailor Vesta."  
  
"Yeah, no one blames you for what happened to Pallas," Sailor Moon added. "Ease up on yourself."  
  
They flew on for a few minutes in silence.  
  
"Why'd you pick me?" Vesta asked. "I mean, you and Saturn are best buds. You probably would have preferred her along."  
  
"It's like I told you," Sailor Moon said. "I need someone to cover my back. And you're good at that."  
  
"Saturn's good at it, too."  
  
"I suppose. I also kind of wanted to let you know that there weren't any hard feelings," Sailor Moon reluctantly admitted, "for what happened in practice." She hesitated, looked down. "I know you don't like me. It's not hard to understand, too. I was pretty rotten to you four when Mom first threw us together. I'm sorry about that. But I realize that you're good to have around. You don't scare easily and you work really well with the other senshi." She paused again. "I want to be friends, but if that isn't possible, I want us to at least be good teammates."  
  
"Fauna Assimilation," Vesta croaked out, "falcon!" Vesta's body changed into a small black falcon. She launched herself into the air from the hip of Pegasus.  
  
"Vesta?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"W-We'll all get there faster if Pegasus isn't lugging both of us around," the falcon said. "Don't worry, Princess. I've got your back."  
  
Sailor Moon leaned in to Pegasus.   
  
"What did I do now?" she whispered.  
  
"Do not be distressed, Maiden," Pegasus thought back. "You made a fine attempt. I am quite proud of you. But there are some in life that must live his or her life on his or her own terms. Those people will not be forced, even by kindness, into decisions that are not their own making."  
  
"So what do I do?"  
  
"Let her make the decision. She will come around." The horse glanced back at his rider. "After all, rare is the person who has come to know you and not hopelessly fallen in love with you."  
  
Sailor Moon grinned. "My Dad warned me about horses like you." She noticed the lips on Pegasus's snout curl.  
  
* * * *  
  
"You're certain we're not too heavy, your . . .er, I mean King Endymion?" Saturn asked.  
  
Endymion flew across meadows and green pasture, the tranquil trappings of Elysian, holding himself and the three senshi with him aloft via the power of the Golden Crystal. Below them a heard of horses looked up from grazing. Beside them, blue birds flew without fear.  
  
"You're not, Saturn," Endymion smiled. "The Golden Crystal seems to react favorably with being in Elysian. If anything, I'm stronger here than on Earth."  
  
They flew on in silence.  
  
"Um, Saturn," Endymion began. "How do I put this without making you uncomfortable?"  
  
The young teen with the sad violet eyes looked over at him.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for being my daughter's friend. Whether you know it or not, you've had a tremendous positive effect on her. Usa was having some problems ever since she became a teenager, and it's partly my fault. I realize I haven't always been able to be there for her. And it's good that she has someone to relate to, particularly someone her own age. Her mother and I try, but the last few years . . ." and Endymion trailed off. "But she's shown remarkable improvement since you came to stay with us."  
  
"I didn't realize," Saturn said, then turned away to hide her blushing. "She was probably just lonely. I know what it's like to be lonely. I've had such a wonderful time here, thanks to her. If anything, I should be thanking you for letting me stay. I just . . ." and then Saturn trailed off.  
  
"You miss Haruka and Michiru, though," Endymion observed. Saturn nodded. "Don't feel self-conscious. I understand you miss them. I don't think a day went by when I didn't miss my parents when I was your age."  
  
"I wish they could be here, too," Saturn lamented.  
  
"Perhaps, when they learn you're in Crystal Tokyo, they'll come back," Endymion offered.  
  
"Um, Your Highness," Juno spoke up urgently. "I don't like the looks of the terrain ahead of us."  
  
Endymion and Saturn looked at what Juno and Ceres already saw. Before them the pleasant green wilderness of Elysian began to take on an ominous look. What light shone through was colored violet and indigo. The limbs of the trees twisted in insane ways and hung oppressively over the land like the claws of gigantic monsters. Clouds cast in gray with patches of black loomed over the trees and swirled around. Here and there, in the air or on the ground, was a fleeting snatch of movement. Was it a predator ducking for concealment or a deadly trap snapping shut on unsuspecting prey? Ceres felt her heart began to hammer in her chest. She looked to Juno, but found her sister Amazon was already looking to the king.  
  
"What is it?" Saturn whispered.  
  
"A nightmare realm," Endymion replied calmly, but warily. "I've seen them before in the company of Helios and Candide. It's where the stuff of bad dreams reside." He glanced back at the senshi. "Don't be afraid. Just be careful."  
  
With his head turned, Endymion didn't see the cloud suddenly swirl up to him. It lashed out with blinding speed, striking the king and sending him barreling out of control. Bereft of his support, Saturn, Juno and Ceres all tumbled toward the shadow shrouded ground below.  
  
Events kicked back into place for Ceres with a jolt. She found herself on the ground, surrounded by a grove of trees, in a bed of wild grasses and flowers. Seen up close without the shroud of darkness to give it mystery, the grove seemed normal enough, even pleasant. Ceres pushed to a sitting position.  
  
"Oh, if I've got a bruise on my hip, I'll be so mortified," Ceres moaned, rubbing the hip she fell on. "Juno?" There was no response. "Saturn? Your Majesty?"  
  
The area was silent - - eerily silent.  
  
"Oh, great! They may be lost - - or hurt! What if they can't answer?" Ceres gripped her forehead. "Calm down. Keep your head, just like they tell you in class. Do what you do best."  
  
Shifting onto her knees, Ceres knelt by a patch of daffodils just off of a small pond. In the low light, the flowers seemed cast in grays instead of their normal colors. Ceres reached out and caressed them.  
  
"Poor things," she whispered. "You probably don't get a lot of light around here, huh?" Her hand softly caressed the stem of the flower and it seemed to respond ever so slightly. "Can you help me? Do you sense anyone else like me around here?" The flower seemed to quiver at her touch, bursting with an answer.  
  
And in an eye-blink, tendrils shot out from the flowers. The surprised Ceres pulled back, but the shoots were too fast for her. The vines wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms doubled against her sides. She managed to get off one shriek of surprise before the vines snaked around her throat. Held fast in their grip, Ceres tried to pull free, fright giving her new wellsprings of strength.   
  
But the vines only held more tightly. The pressure of their constriction drove the wind from the senshi's lungs. She tried to gasp in more, but their grip wouldn't let her chest expand. Barred from shouting her power phrase, barred even from breathing, Ceres could only stare at the now vicious plant and wonder why.  
  
Continued in Chapter 4 


	4. Shadow's Tea Party

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 4: "Shadow's Tea Party"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
Fisheye sat in the silent hall beside the bed of Sailor Pallas. The Royal Mother Candide had been called away to attend to another stricken dweller of this former realm of peace and light. Not knowing anything else to do, since being a former fish he had no background in healing, Fisheye held the senshi's hand as the girl grimaced and occasionally moaned.  
  
"Stop," Pallas moaned quietly, her delicate eyes closed against an invisible attacker. "Don't make Pallas listen. Please?"  
  
"What do you hear?" Fisheye asked.  
  
It wasn't the first time he'd asked. But all the other times Pallas had been too busy trying to resist the outside force assailing her to respond. His free hand, now soft and delicate where once it had been green, scaly and claw-like, reached over and gently massaged the temple of his former fellow performer in evil at the Dead Moon Circus.  
  
"Bad thoughts," Pallas mumbled. "They don't make any sense. They tell Pallas that everything is a lie. They say you're not really here." Pallas opened her eyes ever so timidly and looked at Fisheye. "You are here, aren't you Miss Fisheye Sir?"  
  
"I'm here, Palla-Palla," Fisheye said. He squeezed the girl's hand to prove it. "Don't you believe anything those voices tell you."  
  
"But the voices say you're lying," Pallas said fearfully. Tears sprouted in her eyes. "Pallas doesn't know what to believe. She wishes Vesta was here."  
  
"I'll prove to you I'm real," Fisheye told her. "Remember the time you created that puppet of an artist? And it snuck into the chamber where Zirconia talked to Queen Neherenia and painted that rude face on the back of her dress?"  
  
Pallas nodded. "Granny Zirconia was so mad. She roared and strutted around like a big old chicken for hours. But Pallas thought no one knew she was the one who did that."  
  
"I was able to figure it out. But I never told anyone. I hated Zirconia. She may have given me my human life, but she was cruel. She would have crushed me in a second if it benefited her. And for the longest time I was the same way. She made me in her image, but seeing her put in her place like that helped me to realize that her way was wrong. It took a while, but you were the first one who nudged me that way. Now let those voices say that's a lie."  
  
Pallas calmed some.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Fisheye Sir," Pallas smiled timidly. "Pallas is very glad you were able to become a nice person."  
  
"Thank Sailor Moon and Lord Helios for that," Fisheye smiled. He seemed prettier when he smiled. "And thank you. They saved me, but you did your part, too."  
  
"The Queen is a wonderful person," Pallas answered. "Pallas likes her a lot and thinks she's so pretty. And Mr. Helios Sir is very nice, too." Pallas almost managed a broad smile, but it was strained. "Pallas shouldn't say that too loud. The Princess gets very jealous when another girl talks about Mr. Helios Sir." Though evidence of her battle was still etched on her face, Pallas seemed more at ease. Fisheye still kept hold of her hand. "Pallas is glad you talked to her, Miss Fisheye Sir. It really helps her to not listen to the mean voices. You don't have to leave, do you?"  
  
"I'll stay as long as you like, Palla-Palla," Fisheye replied, caressing the girl's temple.  
  
"Thank you," Pallas squeaked, then snuggled down into the bed. After a few moments, she turned back to Fisheye. "Miss Fisheye Sir, Pallas remembers something the Queen told her. Pallas doesn't really understand it, but she thinks the Queen meant it for you as much as she meant it for Pallas."  
  
"What's that?" Fisheye asked.  
  
"She said," and the girl's brow knit with concentration, "'The credit for any successful re - - um, redemption starts with the, um, the one redeemed. Others can give the redeemed the op-opportunity, but the redeemed is the one who - - has to take it.'" Pallas nodded with triumph and looked up at Fisheye.  
  
"That's," Fisheye said, his voice choked with emotion, "that's very wise." The temple maiden fiddled with his skirt while he kept hold of the senshi's hand.  
  
"Sure you deserve it," Pallas replied out of nowhere. "Oopsie. Pallas is sorry. She forgot and heard your thoughts."  
  
"That's all right," Fisheye whispered, holding back tears as he clutched Pallas' hand with both of his. "No harm done."  
  
* * * *  
  
As Sailor Moon and Helios soared over the darkening landscape, Sailor Moon kept casting furtive glances over at Sailor Vesta. In her falcon form, she flew about twenty feet from them, glancing backwards herself in order to keep them from being ambushed from behind.  
  
"You seem tense, Maiden," Helios thought-casted to her.   
  
"Well, feeling you under me always gets me a little tense, if you know what I mean." Sailor Moon flushed slightly at her innuendo. Helios merely smiled knowingly. "But seriously, don't you feel the bad vibes from this place?" Sailor Moon asked the Pegasus beneath her.   
  
"They batter me constantly," Helios replied. "Visiting the nightmare realms is never pleasant for me, but it is more so when Echidna is disturbed or agitated."  
  
Further conversation was cut off when Vesta flew across their path in her falcon form.  
  
"Is that spooky place down there where we're going?" the falcon asked.  
  
Below them lay a stone structure, square and about two stories high. Gothic gargoyles perched atop the roof and the windows and doors were arched and draped in looming shadows. Ancient runes were carved into the stone below where the gargoyles perched. Lifeless trees bracketed the building on both sides, their limbs gnarled and clutching. There was a sinister aura to the building, one of menace and fright.  
  
"It reminds me of the place where Ctesias lived, a little," Sailor Moon commented.  
  
"No doubt it is similar," Helios answered. "Ctesias did dream."  
  
"So, do we knock?" Vesta asked.  
  
"That will not be necessary," Helios replied. "Echidna is aware of our arrival."  
  
No sooner had they heard Helios' statement then they saw the gargoyles come to life and begin to push off the roof. They were gray, bloated things with squat, thick bodies and taloned limbs. Their wings were scalloped and bat-like and their heads were huge bowling balls with pinched features and bony ridges over the brows. They hurled up at the travelers, gaining speeds that belied their bulk.   
  
"Fauna Assimilation," Vesta began, then stopped. "What the Hell are those things?"  
  
"They're gargoyles," Sailor Moon told her. "They're monsters used to scare away evil spirits in old times."  
  
"Works for me. Fauna Assimilation - - Gargoyle!"  
  
Vesta's body expanded out and took on a grayish tint. In seconds the pretty senshi disappeared into the huge winged monster hurling at the oncoming threat. She met the lead gargoyle head on and the pair locked in battle, the gargoyle screeching hideously in Vesta's face as they fought.  
  
Others flew past them, homing in on Helios and Sailor Moon. With his wings furiously flapping to keep them aloft, Helios waited until one was within range, then dipped his head and drove his crystal horn into the beast's thick hide. It wasn't enough to pierce it, but it allowed Helios to fling the monster away from Sailor Moon. Riding an air current, Helios and Sailor Moon dived down below the other two attackers. Helios pivoted in mid-air, coming to face them again, Sailor Moon clutching his neck.  
  
"Maybe I can do something, Helios," Sailor Moon said.  
  
"Perhaps you can, Maiden," Helios responded. "Their hides are clearly too thick and their minds are clearly focused on a single thought."  
  
Producing the Crescent Moon Wand, Sailor Moon held it aloft. Her mind cleared and she poured everything she had into linking with the pink crystal affixed in the wand's base.   
  
"Moon Healing Escalation!" she called out.  
  
Pink beams of energy radiated out from the wand, showering everyone and everything with its light. Vesta and Helios seemed invigorated by the touch of the energy. The gargoyles, however, recoiled. They screeched at her, trying to intimidate her into stopping. Sailor Moon's brow knit. Her jaw clenched and she focused more of herself into the crystal.  
  
Vesta felt the gargoyle she was engaged with weaken. With a final surge of strength, she shoved it away, then raked it with her talons. The gargoyle went limp and plummeted to the ground. The other three were snarling at Sailor Moon, pained and enraged by her pink energy. Eyes narrowing, Vesta launched herself at the group and slammed her shoulder into another. The creature twisted in her arms, but Vesta's talons were out and plunged through the tough hide of her enemy. It fell away from her, disemboweled, and crashed to the ground below.  
  
Enraged, one of the remaining gargoyles suddenly launched itself at Sailor Moon and Helios, even as its twin stiffened and fell to the ground. Ignoring the agony it felt, the gargoyle flew straight at Sailor Moon, its talons extended. Vesta saw this and instantly launched herself to intercept. The distance, though, was too great and she knew she wouldn't make it.  
  
But within inches of the Princess, the gargoyle stiffened. Life seemed to leave it and it reverted back to a stone statue. Its momentum carried it toward them, but Helios easily evaded it and the statue eventually yielded to gravity. Sailor Moon expelled a huge sigh of fatigue and clutched her brow with her free hand.  
  
"That was less than fun," she muttered.  
  
"Are you injured, Maiden?" Helios asked.  
  
"No, just winded. Those things just didn't want to die." Vesta flew up, still in her gargoyle form. "Thanks for taking those other two. Are you OK?"  
  
"I've been hurt worse in self-defense practice," Vesta shrugged. "Maybe I better stay like this, though. If we're going to meet up with anymore surprises like that, we'll need my strength."  
  
"I doubt we shall encounter any other opposition," Helios exclaimed.  
  
"Are you sure?" Sailor Moon asked. "If she's got monster sentries around the place, logically she'd have other defenses, wouldn't she?"  
  
"Maiden, logic is the last thing that operates in this realm."  
  
With that, Helios dipped his shoulders and rode an air current down to the front door of Echidna's temple. Vesta followed, though she stayed in her gargoyle form.   
  
* * * *  
  
Sailor Ceres struggled with the tendrils that clutched and held her, struggled to get free, struggled just to breathe again.   
  
"I'm your friend!" she thought, because she didn't have wind to speak with and she hoped the plant could sense her and heed her.   
  
If anything, the plant's tendrils seemed to tighten around her. Ceres felt them pulling at her, trying to drag her along the ground. She looked over at the daffodil that held her and was horrified. The flower had grown inch long razor sharp teeth on its cupped petals. The newly formed maw opened hungrily, threatening to eat her. Ceres tried to resist the pull of the tendrils, tried to resist being drawn into that horrid maw, but lack of air was taking its toll. She felt weak, dizzy. The strength was slipping from her legs and with it her ability to resist.  
  
Without warning, the tendrils released her. Ceres fell to the ground, disoriented. Her first thought was to scramble away from the predatory plant. Still weakened, her first few attempts were awkward and ineffectual. As she tumbled back to the ground, Ceres glanced in fright at the plant, praying it wasn't about to grab her again.  
  
The daffodil was drooped over onto the ground, dead. The tendrils were gone. The gaping maw of teeth was gone. Sticking out of the flower was a single red rose, its stem buried like a dagger in the heart of the plant.  
  
Strong hands seized her and Ceres felt a momentary swell of panic. They hauled her up to a sitting position and held her until she gained her balance. A voice was speaking to her. Struggling to calm down, Ceres searched for the voice and quickly found it. King Endymion had her. He held her erect with his strong hands and stared intently into her face with his dark, piercing eyes.  
  
"Sailor Ceres?" she understood him to say for the first time. "Are you hurt?"  
  
"Y-Your Majesty?" Ceres asked in confusion.   
  
"Are you hurt, Ceres?" he asked again.  
  
"No," she shook her head numbly. "That flower - - it grabbed me. It was going to eat me!"  
  
Impulsively she lunged for Endymion, pressing her face into his chest. Almost immediately Ceres realized who they both were and quickly pulled back.  
  
"Your Majesty, I-I'm sorry!" she whispered, mortified.  
  
"It's all right," Endymion replied with an easy-going chuckle. "You had quite a scare there."  
  
"How could something like that happen?" As she spoke, Ceres noticed Sailor Saturn for the first time behind Endymion.  
  
"This is a nightmare realm," Endymion explained. "Just like in a nightmare, terrible things can happen. They don't even have to make sense. But they are just as dangerous as is they were real. We have to be careful here."  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ceres said, her eyes seeking the ground.  
  
"Here," Endymion smiled. His hand disappeared into his cloak and returned with a single red rose. He handed it to Ceres. "Illusion can become deadly reality in this realm. This rose is connected to the power of the Golden Crystal. It will help protect you from the power this area exerts."  
  
Ceres took the rose. She cupped it in her hands and looked up at the king. He was so strong and confident. Why hadn't she noticed before? Why hadn't she noticed how achingly handsome he was? Why hadn't she ever noticed how kind his eyes were? The girl felt the urge to swallow and for a moment couldn't.  
  
Endymion stood up, towering over her for a moment, then extended his hand down to her. Ceres took it and was effortlessly pulled to her feet. She heard Saturn express some concern about her, but barely noticed.  
  
"We need to find Sailor Juno," Endymion declared, surveying the thick jungle of plant life given more density by the low light. Ceres heard that loud and clear.   
  
As he moved and they followed, Ceres threaded the stem of the rose into her hair over her right ear. For some reason, she suddenly felt the urge to look as pretty as possible.  
  
* * * *   
  
When the trio landed at the front step of Echidna's temple, Sailor Moon dismounted. Within moments, Helios surrendered his Pegasus form and became humanoid. Vesta remained in her gargoyle form until Helios glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. Reluctantly she transformed back to Sailor Vesta.  
  
With Helios in the lead, the three crossed the threshold into the temple. As the two young senshi followed, they noticed the deep shadows and thick, cloaking darkness in the room. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the low light.  
  
"What the Hell!" gasped Sailor Vesta.  
  
"Helios!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, gripping his arm. "The walls are moving!"  
  
Indeed, the shadows and darkness swirled around the three visitors like they were in the center of a whirlpool. The dark walls writhed around them, the very black itself insanely contorted. The ceiling pulsed with impossible life. Only the floor beneath them seemed solid. Even the air twisted with madness.  
  
"Do not fear," Helios told them calmly. "You are in no danger."  
  
"But there's something here!" hissed Vesta. "Something watching us - - stalking us!"  
  
"It is the eyes of Echidna. They are everywhere and see everything. It is the thoughts of Echidna, too, manifested and taken life. They will not harm you, save to prey upon your own deep-seeded fears. They will use those fears to destroy you if you allow them." He turned to Sailor Moon, still clinging to his arm. "You have experienced their seduction once before, Maiden. Do not fall prey again."  
  
"Don't worry," Sailor Moon said, summoning as much resolve as she could. "I don't make the same mistake twice."  
  
The gloom cleared just enough for the visitors to see three figures ahead. Two figures stood on either side of a smaller figure curled up on a marble altar. The figure on the right was a burly man. His head was shaved clean and he was stripped to the waist, with clinging black pants and thick-soled boots below. He looked at them. His eyes were narrow and yellowish, a sickly yellow that spoke of age and impurity. A squat nose and a thick, scowling mouth completed the picture of anger and violence barely contained. His torso was thick with muscles and his hide was leathery.  
  
The other figure was gaunt. His black hair lay unkempt atop his head. His staring black eyes were sunken into his skull, while sharp cheekbones curved down to a hideous slit of a mouth. His black robes hung on him and blended into the dark. Blotchy pale patches mottled his skin, skin that hinted it would burst apart should it be touched. He looked at the visitors and the two senshi feared contamination by his very gaze.  
  
"Helios, what are they?" Sailor Moon whispered.  
  
"Goth and Tiberious," he nodded first left then right. "They are the attendants . . ."  
  
"They are my attendants," the figure on the altar said. Her body uncurled and she raised her head. "They are the products of my fevered brain - - or perhaps I am the product of theirs. I used to know."  
  
Vesta grimaced. Her voice had a seductive feminine quality, but one that was distorted. The pitch was an octave too high, the tone jagged and abrupt. They watched her uncoil from the temple altar and slide to the floor. Her figure was small, yet very athletic. Her attire accentuated the curves of her body: a form-fitting pair of leggings that ended at the waist and a long sleeve midriff-baring top with an audacious plunging neckline. Her attire was colored in alternate sections of black and white, the seams running at sixty degree angles along her body, the color scheme mirror opposite on either side of her.  
  
Echidna had snow-white hair combed back from her forehead in a widow's peak and falling loosely at her shoulders. Her face - - her face was divided. The right half was fair, but stared with a single serpent-like green eye and a ruby mouth pulled back in a madwoman's grin. The left half was cast in black no matter which way she turned, and a single white eye bereft of a pupil stared at them from the onyx of her skin.  
  
"Echidna," Helios began. "You know why we are here."  
  
"Then you need not speak it, my lovely," Echidna replied, staring off into the dark and turning her head as if listening to words only she heard. She grinned, then locked her gaze on Sailor Moon.  
  
"You are known to us," Echidna said, easing toward Sailor Moon at a leisurely pace. "You are the girl who would be a lady before her time. You are the Queen in training, the bride to the dreaming and the hero in waiting. You are the fool who rages at others for denying the identity that she herself denies the most."  
  
Echidna was within inches of Sailor Moon, who stood her ground. The strange woman turned her head up suddenly, her attention caught by something unseen. Then Echidna's head snapped back and she stared at Sailor Moon. Her mouth curled up into a child's grin while her eyes grew wide. Her hand covered her mouth inadequately.  
  
"Ohhh," she gasped, looking straight into Sailor Moon's eyes. "What you're going to do!"  
  
"Leave her alone!" snarled Vesta. She moved forward menacingly, but Helios barred her way.  
  
"I know you, too, Sailor Vesta," Echidna said, smiling coyly and twisting her body like a smirking five year old. Then her entire demeanor changed, becoming withdrawn and timid. "You have so many demons haunting you. And Pallas knows them all and she still likes you. She thinks about you so much."  
  
Echidna's eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth curled.  
  
"Do you want to know what she's thinking now?"  
  
"YOU BITCH!" Vesta roared, lunging for her. With great effort, Helios and Sailor Moon shoved her back. Helios turned to Echidna.  
  
"This is beneath you, Echidna," Helios said.  
  
"Oh, poo," Echidna huffed, pouting. She whirled, presenting her back to Helios. "You know very well she brings it upon her own head. I do not inflict wounds. I only uncover them."  
  
"Echidna," Helios persisted. "You are upsetting the balance."  
  
"The balance is a lie," she replied, turning back to them. Her eye was unfocused, looking inward rather than at them. "The balance is an illusion created by pretty goats in a meadow of bluebells and violets."  
  
"The balance is everything," Helios said, gripping Echidna by her arms. Her attendants and the senshi both tensed, daring the other to intercede. "You must stop this. You must stay in your own realm."  
  
"Why?" Echidna asked, suddenly pitiful and forlorn. "Why must I be the only one who hears the voices, my once and only love?" Sailor Moon glanced in shock at Helios. "Why must I be the only one to see - - what they see? The cruelty - - the evil. Helios, sometimes it is too much to bear. Why can I not share this with everyone, so they may know the bliss of my agony?"  
  
"I sympathize, Echidna," Helios replied kindly. "Were it within my power, I would relieve you of your terrible burden. No one enjoys seeing you suffer. But there is an order to things. . ."  
  
"ORDER IS A LIE!" Echidna shrieked, yanking violently away from Helios. "Everything is a lie!"  
  
Flinging her hands out, Echidna projected black energy at the trio. Sailor Moon tensed against its impact.  
  
Continued in Chapter 5 


	5. Quicksand Of The Mind

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 5: "Quicksand Of The Mind"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
King Endymion cautiously walked through the dense, dark jungle of onyx trees and thick, clutching underbrush. He betrayed nothing more than concern for the missing Sailor Juno and awareness that at any moment they could be attacked. His sword was drawn and he had changed from his pastel gray tuxedo to his black armor.  
  
At either side were Sailor Saturn and Sailor Ceres. Saturn tried to keep her fear suppressed as she scanned the thicket with her eyes, her glaive at the ready. Ceres didn't waste any energy on bravado. She was openly scared and didn't mind showing it, though she was ready should something attack the other two - - and ready to shriek in terror if something attacked her again, particularly flesh-eating daffodils.  
  
"Do you know where we're going, Your Majesty?" Saturn asked.   
  
"I'm sensing a life in this direction," Endymion explained. "I think it may be Juno."  
  
"Who else could it be?" Ceres asked.  
  
"I'd rather not speculate on that, or the consequences of that being the case," Endymion replied.  
  
Ceres glanced up at him. He was so forceful, so commanding. She didn't have any trouble believing that he knew just how to handle anything that might come up. She felt a warm sensation through her chest and shook her head, trying to refocus on the mission at hand.  
  
"Are you OK, Ceres?" Saturn asked her. Saturn was looking at her strangely and Ceres felt herself grow crimson.  
  
"Yeah, I-I'm fine," she stammered, trying to regain control of her emotions. "I guess I'm still a little spooked by this place. Aren't you?"  
  
Saturn glanced around her, then looked down. Her always-sad eyes seemed to grow particularly haunted.  
  
"I've seen worse," she shrugged. Ceres swallowed.  
  
It was then they both sensed Endymion had stopped. Looking up at him, they saw him staring intently into the blackness.  
  
"What is it?" Saturn asked.  
  
"Usa," he whispered. "I can feel her through my link with her. She's engaged in conflict with something very powerful."  
  
"Echidna?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"We need to hurry then!"  
  
"No," Endymion proclaimed. Saturn looked up at him, silently demanding why. "We have to find Juno first. Juno may be hurt or in trouble." As he spoke, Saturn could see he was fighting to remain calm, literally pulling the words from his soul, fighting an instinct that was threatening to overwhelm him. "Usa will be fine. She's Sailor Moon now. We have to-to trust her ability."  
  
Without warning, a shriek pierced the darkness. Whirling, the trio instantly pinpointed the direction the sound came from.  
  
"That was Juno!" cried Ceres.   
  
Heedless of the danger she feared only moments ago, Ceres plunged into the thick underbrush to reach the sound of her sister Amazon.  
  
"Ceres, be careful!" Endymion shouted as he and Saturn gave chase. "Don't rush in blindly! It's too dangerous!"  
  
Heedless of anything except reaching Juno, Ceres raced on. As she ran, she used her power over plants to part the thick underbrush and create a path for her. The plants parted reluctantly, silently grumbling about this interloper who dared to command them. Ceres ignored them as she ignored Endymion's shouts. Juno was in trouble. That was all that mattered.  
  
Ceres broke into a clearing and found Juno kneeling on the bank of a pond. She was doubled over, her arms clutching her torso, and quaking with fright. A quick perusal of the area found nothing immediately threatening. Accepting the risk, Ceres quickly covered the distance between them and knelt down next to her sister.  
  
"Juno?" Ceres asked gently, lightly but firmly grasping Juno's upper arms. The girl refused to sit up. "Juno, come on! It's Ceres! I'm here! Don't be afraid!"  
  
Juno tried to pull away, but Ceres held on.  
  
"Juno, what is it? Say something! What happened?" Juno's struggles ceased, but she still wouldn't sit up. "Juno, what's wrong? Tell me, please! Let me help you! Speak to me!"  
  
With clear reluctance, Juno began to sit up. The shadows obscured much of her upper body, casting it in a very low light. Ceres stared at her, wondering what could have so traumatized Juno. Juno turned to her.  
  
It must have been a trick of the light. Ceres stared harder, trying to penetrate the haze that obliterated Juno's face. Then realization struck and with it utter horror. Juno had no face. Her features were gone. All that was left was smooth, pink, featureless skin. Ceres fell back, her eyes bulging. The reaction drove Juno to bury her face in her legs again.  
  
"Oh, Juno, I'm sorry!" wailed Ceres. She hugged the girl, forcing her from her defensive crouch. Ceres drew Juno to her, protectively surrounding her sister with her arms. "We'll find a way to fix you. I promise."  
  
The darkness surrounded the pair. Ceres paid it no mind. Juno needed her.  
  
* * * *  
  
The first sensation Helios felt was confusion. The power Echidna had unleashed was more than she'd ever demonstrated before. It was powerful enough to send even him careening from the temple and into the inky dark of the surrounding realm. How had she come by such power, for it made her that much more dangerous to all sane thought? Did her power stem from her growing uncontrollable madness or was someone behind her, manipulating her?  
  
The next sensation Helios felt was alarm. He heard Sailor Vesta call out, inquire anxiously as to the location of The Princess. Helios resisted the urge to look about, for Vesta already had that covered. Instead he reached out with his mind, for there was nothing in any of the dreaming lands that could be hidden from him. It was a power he shared with Echidna  
  
The last sensation Helios felt was fear.  
  
"She is still in the Temple of Echidna!" Helios gasped out. "She managed to resist Echidna's power!"  
  
"Or maybe this Echidna chick has plans for her!" Vesta articulated what Helios feared to do.  
  
"She cannot face Echidna alone, not when the guardian of nightmares is in this fevered state!" As Helios exclaimed this, he transformed into his Pegasus form. The equine launched himself into the sky. "Hurry!" he commanded mentally, his shrill voice ringing in Vesta's head. "We must go to her! Keep up as best you can! I cannot wait for you!"  
  
"Just don't choke on my dust!" Vesta retorted. "Fauna Assimilation - - Pterodactyl!"  
  
Her body changed into the huge prehistoric winged lizard. Though large and ponderous, her mighty wingspan would allow Vesta to cover more ground. Pegasus was already nearly out of sight. She poised to launch into the air.  
  
"Vesta!" Pallas' voice rang in her head. Vesta turned around, but nothing was there.  
  
"Pallas, is that you?" Vesta asked out loud.  
  
"Please be careful, Vesta! Pallas doesn't want the bad lady to hurt you!"  
  
The great flying lizard brushed a limb against its suddenly moist eye.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Pallas," Vesta thought along their link. "You just concentrate on getting well. We miss you out here."  
  
With that, the dinosaur senshi flew off to join Helios.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Pallas?" Fisheye inquired. "Why are you crying? Did something upset you? Is it the voices?"  
  
"Not really," sniffed Sailor Pallas. "It's just - - Vesta's going to fight the bad lady. Pallas is afraid Vesta is going to get hurt!"  
  
"I know it's hard," Fisheye whispered, gripping the girl's hand. "It's all right to be afraid for her. They're fighting a dangerous battle and something bad could happen. But they're fighting for something important. I hope nothing bad happens to Vesta or any of them, but we have to be brave and not worry them. They can't concentrate on winning if they're worrying about us." Fisheye grinned uneasily. "Does that make any sense?"  
  
"Not really," Pallas admitted, "but Pallas is a little slow."  
  
Fisheye grinned in embarrassment. "Well I used to be a fish, so I'm not that good a talker. I guess what I'm trying to say is we have to accept that one or more of them might not come back, but if it means winning against this plague, then that's how it has to be."  
  
Pallas nodded, but Fisheye could see the young girl wasn't happy with the thought. Neither was he.  
  
"Miss Fisheye Sir?" Pallas inquired finally.  
  
"Yes, Pallas?"  
  
"Pardon Pallas for asking, but," and the girl hesitated, "why do fish always let fishermen catch them? Don't they see the hook?"  
  
Fisheye stared at her in shock and confusion for a few moments. Then he smothered a chuckle and tried to look serious. Pallas only looked up at him in wonder.  
  
A loud clatter drew their attention. At the far end of the room, Candide slipped from her chair to the floor. Fisheye rose even as two other denizens of Elysian rushed to the Queen Mother's side. He was about to go to her when he heard Pallas whimper.  
  
"NO!" wailed Pallas. She clutched her head and was pulled into a fetal position. "PALLAS DOESN'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP!"  
  
* * * *  
  
The force had driven her to one knee. However, Sailor Moon, with the aid of the Crescent Moon Wand and the glowing pink crystal in the base, had resisted the onslaught of Echidna's sudden burst of power. Buoyed by her success, Sailor Moon looked around for Helios. The sight of his pride in her, etched as it would be on his face because he could never hide it even if he put a sack over his head, was better for her than gold.  
  
"Helios?" Sailor Moon called out when she didn't see him. Her voice betrayed the anxiety she felt and at that moment she didn't care. But Helios was gone. In fact no one seemed to be in the gloomy temple. "Helios, where are you?"  
  
"It's just us," Echidna said, her voice haunting, disembodied. Sailor Moon turned and finally caught sight of her. The woman was drawing patterns into a marble altar with her finger.  
  
"What did you do with Helios?" demanded Sailor Moon.  
  
"Helios is a beam of light with gold and sapphire wings," Echidna replied. She wore the spooky, faraway look again on the part of her face that was visible. "Helios is the sun, the moon and the stars all rolled up into one. He soars above while I am consigned to the filth." She turned to Sailor Moon. "Have we met?"  
  
Sailor Moon only stared. She didn't know how to answer.  
  
"Oh, yes, you are the princess of the waking world," Echidna nodded. Her visible eye fixed on Sailor Moon. "I knew your Helios when he was but a sweet young boy." As she spoke, she seemed to slither closer to Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon eyed her warily, but didn't give ground lest she seem intimidated. "He was very kind to me. He was handsome even then. There was something pristine about him that attracted me like a moth to flame."  
  
"Uh, news bulletin," Sailor Moon replied, tight-lipped. "Helios has a girl."  
  
"Yes," Echidna replied, gliding behind Sailor Moon for a moment, her hand caressing the girl's cheek. "I imaging it would vex him terribly if I had you flayed."  
  
Sailor Moon pivoted out of Echidna's reach, facing her down again. She brandished the Crescent Moon Wand, ready to use it should Echidna give her cause.  
  
"Oh!" gasped Echidna excitedly. "What a pretty jewel! May I touch it?"  
  
Echidna reached for the jewel in the wand, but a stiff-arm from Sailor Moon kept her at bay.  
  
"Don't touch it!" snarled Sailor Moon.   
  
"But I only wish to use it to kill you," Echidna replied innocently.  
  
"All right, enough of this! You need to stop spreading all your darkness and evil over Elysian! Now!"  
  
"Evil? What is evil, Princess, save that which deprives us of what we want? I only wish an end to the voices. I only wish to walk in the sun and be normal, to have a fraction of what you have. By denying me this, does that not make you the evil one?"  
  
"You're doing it the wrong way!" argued Sailor Moon. "Any way that hurts so many people is the wrong way, it has to be! Even you can see that, can't you?" Echidna stared at her like she was a performing monkey. "Look, Helios and I can try to help you. There has to be some way to help you. But this isn't the way. The happiness of one person can't come at the expense of millions."  
  
"You'd," mumbled Echidna, looking at the floor, "help me?"  
  
"If I can."  
  
"THANK YOU!" Echidna roared. With a wild-eyed look and a death's head grin, she lunged at the pink senshi.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ceres heard footsteps behind her. Cradling Juno against her body, Ceres turned to the sound, prepared to protect her sister Amazon any way she could. To her relief, Endymion and Sailor Saturn emerged from the brush.  
  
"OH!" gasped Saturn, her hand going to her mouth. Endymion saw what had happened to Juno, too, but expressed more sadness than surprise. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know!" sobbed Ceres. "I found her like this! Isn't there something we can do?"  
  
"Let me see what I can do," Endymion said, kneeling down next to them. He felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Um, pardon me, Your Majesty," Saturn said meekly. "Maybe you should save yourself for Echidna. I'll try to help her."  
  
"If you think you can," nodded Endymion, yielding to the violet senshi. "But be careful not to overextend yourself. I don't want you to endanger yourself recklessly."  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Saturn replied absently. She was already slipping into a state of semi-consciousness.  
  
Searching her mind for that place Sensei told her held her power, Saturn sank to her knees before Sailor Juno. Ceres reluctantly backed away. The place was there, just as Sensei taught her. She had been to the place of power before, the first time at ten. She was a student at Infinity Academy. Kenichi Wakabi had accidentally cut open his hand. His instant alarm and terror were great enough for her to smell. Young Hotaru had wanted to help him and the strength of her wish had taken her to her place of power. She knew what it was now, but then it was a wondrous unknown. She healed Kenichi, laying hands upon his and closing his wound. Only the other children had reacted in terror of her and at that moment her place of power became a thing to be feared and reviled. Only later would she learn differently.  
  
Her hands drifted on their own accord to Juno's blank face. Instantly power radiated from them and Juno whimpered. She had no mouth to make any other sound with. In Sailor Saturn's mind, there were only two things that existed in the world: her hands and her place of power. Carefully she worked her hands over the soft flesh of Juno's face. She couldn't see because the impulses from her eyes couldn't get past the flow of power. She couldn't hear for the same reason. There was a vague sense of her scalp tingling. Her hands continued to caress the flesh of Juno's countenance.   
  
Using the power, though, was tiring. Saturn began to feel the fatigue growing within her slight body. She struggled to hold on, clinging to the resolution of helping Juno, of reconstructing her face. She felt light-headed and couldn't seem to draw enough oxygen. A wave of nausea flooded over her just before everything seemed to spin.  
  
"Saturn, you did it!" she heard someone squeal. She thought it was Ceres.  
  
Struggling to gain control of her body, Saturn forced her eyes open. She seemed to be on her back. Juno was hovering over her. Her face was normal again - - save for the tears streaming down her cheeks. Saturn struggled to smile and wasn't sure she accomplished it.  
  
"Saturn?" Juno pleaded. "Saturn, are you all right? Please say something!"  
  
"Sorry, Your Majesty," Saturn gasped out. "Think I overdid it."  
  
The king was by her side instantly. Juno shifted reluctantly, because she hadn't been able to thank her savior properly; however, this was more important. Endymion reached for her and as he did his hand began to glow gold. It closed on Saturn's shoulder and the girl's torso arched as if stimulated by unseen energy. A sigh escaped her lips as her head lolled back and her short black hair dusted the ground. Within seconds her body relaxed and the smile that curled her lips spoke of how much better she felt.  
  
"Is she going to be all right?" Juno asked.  
  
"She just needs to rest a little," Endymion replied. "Her desire still outdistances her power."  
  
"I guess I understand why she's so reluctant to use her power," Juno commented. Endymion glanced at her. Juno didn't even come close to understanding.  
  
Suddenly Endymion recoiled from something. He doubled over as if he'd been shot, then braced himself on his hands and knees. Both conscious senshi gasped.  
  
"Your Majesty! What is it?" Juno cried.  
  
"Usa," he croaked out through clenched teeth.  
  
"The Princess is in trouble?" Ceres asked in alarm. With effort, Endymion nodded.  
  
"Go to her," Juno told him. Endymion looked at her, obviously torn by his desire to aid his daughter and his duty to them. "We'll stay with Saturn. We'll catch up with you as soon as we can."  
  
"But Sailor Juno," he began.  
  
"The Princess is more important than we are, Your Majesty. Go on."  
  
"Very well. But take this," and he presented Juno with a rose. "It will give you some protection against the nightmares that manifest in this place."  
  
Juno took it and nodded solemnly. With clear distaste, Endymion rose to his feet. As he stood, his black armor gleamed in the low light. Lunging forward several steps, his cape fluttering in the wind, Endymion shimmered and disappeared from view.  
  
"What do you suppose is going on?" Ceres asked, trying to shunt her fear to the side.  
  
"That Echidna lady is probably being difficult," Juno replied, her attention focused on the rose. She turned it over in her hands a few times, then tucked the stem in her boot.   
  
"They ought to put pockets in these things, huh?" Ceres grinned nervously.  
  
"Ceres," Juno began. "Thanks for finding me. Thanks for all you did to help."  
  
"No charge," Ceres grinned. "We Asteroids have to stick together." Ceres grew timid. "What was it like?"  
  
"Like my worst nightmare," Juno whispered.  
  
Ceres looked around the gloomy forest while Juno set about tending to the sleeping Sailor Saturn.  
  
"I hope she gets better soon," Ceres muttered. "I can't wait to get out of this place."  
  
Continued in Chapter 6 


	6. Reflections in a shattered mirror

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 6: "Reflections in a Shattered Mirror"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
The computerized door lock allowed Makoto to pass into the royal chambers. Serenity had long ago granted free access to her senshi and today Makoto was taking advantage of it.   
  
She found Serenity by the window, engaged in painting. This was a sign. Serenity never painted unless she needed to relax. She drew frequently. Even today, a thousand years since she first started as an art assistant to the great manga artist Marie Baishaku, Serenity couldn't get drawing out of her system. But she only took up canvas and brush when she was nervous or pensive.  
  
"She's going to be fine, hon'," Makoto said.   
  
Serenity only gave her a cursory look, then dabbed gel-pigment onto the canvas. She was painting a scene of Luna quietly sleeping on the windowsill in the sun. Since Luna to this day steadfastly refused to pose for her, she was painting the black cat from memory.  
  
"So will he," Makoto persisted.  
  
"You think you know me so well," fussed Serenity. A stroke of gray highlighted Luna's back.   
  
"That's not what you're worried about?"  
  
"Why aren't you with Ami?" Serenity frowned.  
  
"Because she's working late," Makoto answered, then rolled her eyes, "again. And instead of throwing her into a hammer lock and dragging her away from her computer, I thought I'd try to cheer you up." Her hand touched Serenity's shoulder. "Because out of all of us, I know what you're going through the most. I know what it's like to worry about your husband and your kid when they're away."  
  
Makoto crossed over and sat down on a nearby chair. She leaned in and looked Serenity in the eye. Serenity sighed in frustration.  
  
"You know," Serenity began, "after all the children that have passed through this palace and my life, you think I'd learn that there's only so much you can do to protect them. After what happened to little Fujiko - - and Keiko - - remember Keiko?" Makoto nodded wistfully. "Maybe it's because they were adopted and Usa's my own. Oh, that's a terrible thing to say."  
  
"Don't beat yourself up," Makoto smiled. "I've got special feelings for the Asteroid Senshi. They've only been here a year, but I almost think of them as my own. Still, they'll never replace Akiko or Ichiro or any of my grandkids in my heart."  
  
"Yeah," Serenity smiled sadly. "I think Setsuko is the only one I loved almost as much as Usa. Maybe it was because she was my first." Serenity let out a deep, almost mournful sigh. "Mako-chan, I just get this sense of dread whenever Usa leaves."  
  
"Dread that something will happen to her," Makoto asked, "or dread that she'll leave one day and start a life of her own?"  
  
"Yes," Serenity sighed.  
  
"Welcome to the club," Makoto grinned. "There's so much of motherhood that makes you want to shoot yourself. If it weren't for all the sweet, sweet memories, it wouldn't be worth it."  
  
Serenity picked up her brush again and highlighted Luna's haunch.   
  
"Tell me again how Usa's going to be all right," Serenity asked. "I don't even care if you have to lie to me. Just tell me she's . . ."  
  
The brush suddenly dropped from Serenity's hand. Makoto looked up and saw her queen staring off into the distance, seeing something only she could see. Her face twisted up and tears began to stream from her blue eyes.  
  
"Serenity?" Makoto asked fearfully.  
  
"My baby," whispered Queen Serenity.  
  
* * * *  
  
In her form of a pterodactyl, Sailor Vesta quickly closed the gap between her and the Pegasus in front of her. He was winging as full speed toward the temple of Echidna, which was no surprise. Vesta only hoped they could arrive before some tragedy befell her princess and his love.  
  
Then she saw two forms fly out from the temple. Her dinosaur eyesight wasn't the keenest and it took Vesta a few moments to recognize their attackers: Goth and Tiberious, the temple attendants of Echidna. The emaciated Goth flew to intercept her while the brutish Tiberious flew - - or more accurately leaped - - toward Pegasus.  
  
"Get out of my way or I'll turn you into scavenger chow!" Vesta warned.  
  
"You crow fearsomely," Goth smiled and it was a chilling smile that made Vesta nauseous. "I think, though, that I can stand up to one of your slight strength."  
  
"Your funeral," Vesta replied and dived toward the nightmarish creature.  
  
"Sailor Vesta!" she heard Helios shout to her in her mind. "Do not let Goth touch you!"  
  
"He's not that tough!" Vesta snapped back.  
  
"He is the manifestation of death in the dream realms!" Helios thought urgently. "His touch can bring terrible disease and painful death! Do not let him touch you, I beseech you!"  
  
Just then Tiberious impacted with Pegasus. His massive arms wrapped around the equine's neck. Using his weight, he bent the equine's neck around awkwardly. Pegasus was forced to choose between attempting to fly and having his neck snapped or plummeting to the ground. The pair dropped like twin stones.  
  
"Helios!" cried Vesta, then barely dodged the lunge of Goth. Her wings carried her up away from the desiccated creature. Goth leered at her.  
  
"Why do you run away, my dear?" Goth asked, his voice so unearthly that Vesta felt chills in her spine. "Here I thought you and I were old friends."  
  
"Yeah, well Sensei Aino-sama warned me about perverts like you," sneered Vesta. A simple flap of her gigantic wings sent Vesta soaring over and past Goth before he - - it? - - could react. "See you at the cherry blossom festival, Dracula!"  
  
Vesta allowed herself a moment's pride before settling on the situation at hand. Did she continue on or stop and try to aid Helios? There wasn't really a choice. She wasn't charged with protecting Helios.  
  
"Guess you're on your own, Pony Boy," Vesta muttered, trying to suppress her feelings of guilt. Instantly, she stopped, nearly running into Goth again.  
  
"You don't escape me that easily," and Goth gave her a skeletal smile, "Ves-Ves."  
  
Vesta stared at him, shaken.  
  
"I told you that you and I are old friends," Goth leered at her. "Why I've known you since you were eleven."  
  
Vesta felt her throat constrict. She turned and flew away, only to find Goth in front of her again.  
  
"You remember your mother, don't you?" Goth smiled contemptuously at her. "I do."  
  
"Shut up!" roared Vesta.  
  
"She was so beautiful, but she knew so much pain. It was tragic really."  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
"Did you know that the laser blast that killed her was actually a blessing?" Goth continued with malicious intent. "It finally ended her pain."  
  
Vesta whirled and flung herself away. But no matter how fast she flew, Goth seemed to keep up with her.  
  
"I knew your father, too, especially in his last moments," Goth persisted. "Would you believe he felt remorse for killing her? He did. He lost control and let his anger and violence consume him and he felt so guilty afterwards. Sound familiar?"  
  
As she flew, Vesta's teeth clenched until they ground. She was squinting so hard to keep the tears at bay that she could barely see.  
  
"You know what his last thoughts were?" Goth asked the fleeing dinosaur girl. "'I deserve this'. Then the police lasers cut him to ribbons."  
  
Vesta let out a roar of agony, obliterating her last bit of sight. Momentarily blinded by rage and grief, she misjudged her position and slammed into the ground. The pterodactyl lay stunned, crumpled in the dirt. Goth landed nearby.  
  
"You surprise me," the skeletal wraith mumbled to himself. "I thought sure I could goad you into attacking me. I guess you were capable of learning."  
  
And he reached down to touch the massive heap crumpled on the ground.  
  
Pegasus struggled to rise from the ground, pushing up with his massive legs as his wings splayed for balance. However, Tiberious kept a solid grip around the equine's neck. He twisted it and the pain forced Pegasus to stay pinned.  
  
"No pretty words, master of pretty dreams?" sneered the brute.  
  
"Would you listen?" Pegasus thought-casted as he wriggled in his foe's iron grip. "You are Echidna's aspect of cruelty and violence. Words are lost upon you."  
  
"I'll listen to some words," he chucked as he wrenched the horse's head, giving it another painful twist. "I've always had a soft spot for begging."  
  
Without warning, the thick neck and long head of Pegasus disappeared, replaced by a white-haired man of gentle countenance. Before Tiberious could adjust to the sudden change, Helios slipped from his grasp. Tiberious turned in time to see Helios backing away from him. As he backed, the man changed back into winged horse.  
  
"I liked you better as a man," Tiberious said, stalking toward Pegasus confidently, his fists clenched into twin hammers. "I prefer beating on men to beating on animals. But if you insist, I'll gladly oblige you."  
  
The brutish man lunged at the winged horse, only to have Pegasus escape his grasp. A simple thrust of his wings carried him into the air and just out of reach. Undaunted, Tiberious lunged at his quarry again. Pegasus responded by rapidly kicking out with his hooves. The sharp edges of the hooves struck home several times. Any normal man would have been opened up by the flaying edges of the hooves.  
  
Tiberious shrugged them off.  
  
Knowing that every second engaged with the aspect left his love threatened by Echidna, Pegasus angled off and soared up into the air. As he glided away, he barely had time to dodge an uprooted tree swung by Tiberious like a club. Though jostled by the air current thrown up by the swing, Pegasus righted himself and climbed up into the air.  
  
"No, Maiden!" Pegasus thought, trying to project his mental warning to Sailor Moon in the temple. From this vantagepoint he could see everything that was happening. "Do not let Echidna get close to you! In her state, she is capable of anything!"  
  
Distracted by Sailor Moon's plight, Pegasus barely had time to dodge an oncoming missile. It was the tree Tiberious had uprooted. Since it no longer served as a club, the savage aspect now employed it as a javelin. With some effort, Pegasus managed to right himself in the turbulent air currents.  
  
Another missile slammed into the horse's side with more force than Pegasus could imagine. Thrown to one side, the ribs on his left side on fire with pain, Pegasus struggled to regain his equilibrium. From his peripheral vision, he could make out Tiberious. The barbarous monster had launched himself into the air and struck Pegasus like a cannon shell. The equine struggled to stay aloft, but every downward push of his left wing was rippling agony through him. The winged horse limped down to the ground and stumbled to a less than graceful landing. The shade of winged horse faded, leaving the man behind clutching his ribs and grimacing in pain. Yards away, Helios saw Tiberious approaching. He rubbed a huge fist with his free hand and his eyes glinted with malicious glee.  
  
"Never let your thoughts wander in a fight," Tiberious lectured him as he approached, "particularly to a woman. It'll be the death of you."  
  
Helios struggled to stay erect. His features were clenched trying to suppress the agony he felt. His left side was useless. His left arm hung because it was too painful to hold it up. His left leg threatened to buckle at any moment. Each breath he took was an adventure in torture. His consciousness began to waver. A surge of nausea flooded through him and for a moment Helios thought he would black out.  
  
With supreme effort he fought it back. Taking short breaths, he watched Tiberious come ever closer. Confident in his victory, Tiberious was in no hurry to reach his quarry. Helios knew he was no physical match for Tiberious. However, Tiberious was just an aspect of this nightmare realm, not its master. Helios knew he had the power to defeat this creature.   
  
He just had to summon it.  
  
Clearing his mind of the burning pain in his ribs, of his gnawing concern for Sailor Moon and, to a lesser extent Vesta, of the natural fear all creatures had of physical suffering, Helios sought peace. He searched for his center, put all impure things out of his mind and focused on who he was and what he represented. As he did this, the crystal horn in his forehead began to glow. Light emanated from it, growing more intense with every passing second. It was a pleasant light, soft and warm and glowing. It caressed, dispelling the darkness that fear, hatred and suffering lurked in.   
  
Slapped across the face with this glow, Tiberious halted in his tracks. The brute threw up his massive arms, trying to shield his eyes from the radiance of Helios' crystal horn. The light, though, could not be blocked. Weakened, Tiberious fell back.  
  
"Coward!" he howled. "Bastard! Fight fair! You can't hope to beat me man to man!"  
  
"We all fight with the weapons at our disposal," Helios wheezed out through clenched teeth. "You forget - - who I am. You forget - - what you are."  
  
"It burns!" wailed Tiberious, clawing at his face as the brilliant light of Helios' crystal horn bathed him in its glare.  
  
"You follow the commands of your priestess," Helios continued, his pain lingering just below the surface of every word. "You act only according to what you are. I beg your forgiveness for intruding upon your domain with this sacred light. But events force my hand." He winced and the light wavered, but Helios forced it back to its previous intensity. "Your priestess in her madness toys with forces that could destroy all of the dream worlds. I do not have time to fight fairly."  
  
His explanation was punctuated by a shrill howl of agony from Tiberious. The massive brute fell over backwards and crumpled to the ground. Helios watched for a few moments. When his foe didn't stir, the guardian of Elysian turned from him.  
  
Shoulders hunched, Helios endured another wave of pain from his injuries. When it passed and he remained on his feet, he set about on his mission. Glancing around, Helios could find no trace of Vesta. Perhaps she was dead. Perhaps his pain clouded his vision. Helios prayed it was the latter.  
  
Then, far more slowly than he would have liked, Helios headed for the temple of Echidna to save his beloved and indeed all of reality. He silently prayed he would find the strength to keep from fainting from the pain in his side.   
  
* * * *  
  
Saturn felt dimly aware of her surroundings. It was dark - - that was all she could make out. No, there was something else.   
  
She was being stalked.  
  
Tightening her grip on her glaive, Saturn continued to walk through the inky haze. Frequently she would cast furtive glances over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what stalked her. Whatever it was kept just out of sight, yet she knew it was there. Saturn could feel her chest tighten.   
  
She'd known fear like this before. She remembered being cared for, if that was the word, by Kaolinite's reanimated corpse possessed by that thing from outer space. She remembered the evil leer Kaolinite had, the leer that was even more chilling than when the woman was alive. She remembered waking up in her room in strange clothes with strange bits of memories of thrones and dolls and devouring crystals and wondering if she was going insane. She remembered struggling with Mistress 9, of feeling the creature's hand splayed across her face as it pushed her down into darkness to drown in its evil, to die while it used her body, perverted it.  
  
A brush of a branch made Saturn whirl around. Her glaive at the ready, she peered into the swirling blackness all around her. Though she strained her eyes to see, nothing was there. Then another noise behind her made her turn again. No sooner had she turned then another noise came from her left. Turning toward it brought another sound from behind. She was surrounded.  
  
Off she went, running as fast as her thin legs could carry her. Saturn's heart pounded in her chest. Her glaive suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She had never been robust, even after Sailor Moon's magic had given her new life. And her image of herself as frail and sickly had never left her, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. The pain in her thighs wasn't unexpected. But Saturn pushed on. She had to escape.  
  
She could hear them now, skittering creatures plunging through the darkness in pursuit of her. Were they rats? Were they dogs? Were they both or neither or something more? Saturn didn't want to find out. She just wanted to get away, to find some safe haven where she could rest. Her lungs ached and her feet burned inside of her violet boots.  
  
And then a barrier lurched up into view. Saturn skidded to a stop before the looming wall of a cliff side. The dirt barrier towered up a hundred feet above her, far too sheer to climb, and disappeared into the gloom on either side. Barred from further flight, Saturn turned. Her back pressed into the side of the cliff while her hands grasped her glaive so tightly that veins popped under the gloves.  
  
One by one her pursuers came into view in the dim light. Upon seeing them, Saturn felt such unnatural fear and revulsion that she feared she was mad. Humanoid, but hardly human, they had unnatural white flesh and glowing, rat-like red eyes. Their skulls were smooth and their fingers long and sharp like talons. Mouths opened and bared teeth. Four in particular caught Saturn's eye, for the creatures each possessed four long, razor sharp fangs.  
  
Vampires! Saturn felt her skin crawl. But when the closest one lunged, instinct took over and the violet senshi lashed out with her glaive. The blade struck true and knocked the creature away, but failed to cut it. Almost immediately another lunged. Saturn pivoted, spinning the glaive around and batting the vampire away with the handle.  
  
She kept them at bay, her glaive spinning around like buzz saw. Only they kept coming. Nothing killed them and their number seemed to grow with each sweep of her blade. Saturn didn't know how much longer she could keep up this pace. Yet escape seemed an avenue denied to her. There were too many and they seemed all around her.  
  
Suddenly there was a flash of pink in the distance out of the corner of her eye. Saturn dared a glance and for the first time felt hope. Sailor Moon was there, gesturing to her. Energized by the sight of her friend, Saturn spun and hacked a path through the grasping, slavering horrors. Once she had a lane, Saturn bolted for her friend.  
  
Sailor Moon opened her arms and gathered Saturn in. She knew the creatures were on her heels, but couldn't help feeling relieved when she felt Sailor Moon's arms close around her. A moment's reassurance from the hug gave Saturn the strength to push away, the renewed heart to fight. She looked up at her friend - - and saw Sailor Moon's red eyes aflame with corruption. Even as Sailor Moon bared vampire fangs, Saturn struggled to break away from her grip.   
  
To her horror, Sailor Moon's mouth lunged for her throat. Saturn felt stabbing pain in her neck - - then the sensation of her life oozing away.  
  
  
  
Continued in Chapter 7 


	7. Girl Power

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 7: "Girl Power"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
His leaps covered yards rather than feet, but still he was too slow. Endymion wished he had his old motorcycle of his youth. Perhaps it wouldn't have been any faster traveling on motorcycle, but it seemed faster. Anything to relieve the apprehension and guilt he felt.   
  
Endymion felt the shock his daughter felt the moment - - something - - struck her. He felt her confusion and fear, the adrenaline rush she felt when, too late, she reacted to the threat. He felt it overcome her. Then he didn't feel anything. His link with her was severed. It didn't mean she was dead - - he would have felt that, felt her mortal spirit pass as he once felt Sailor Moon's spirit pass atop a fragmenting asteroid careening toward Earth. It was a sensation he'd never forget as long as he lived. He hadn't felt that now, so she still lived.  
  
But she was in danger. And despite all his intellectualizations about how she was growing up and she needed to face things on her own without him hovering over her over-protectively, the moment he felt her distress he was off and running to her side. Daddy's little girl wasn't going to suffer so long as Daddy drew breath. And as he leaped across the shadowy forests and grasslands, he prayed that she'd be there when he arrived and that she'd be healthy enough to scold him.  
  
A final leap took him to the steps of a temple. The lettering on the stone roof of the entryway said simply "Echidna" - - no doubt it was her temple. In the distance, the sounds of battle could be heard. Endymion was dimly aware of the presence of Helios nearby, but was preoccupied with other things. Drawing his sword, the king of Crystal Tokyo entered.  
  
Inside all was dark. There were carved statues of various demonic icons. At the back of the room was an altar. Endymion squinted to try to pierce the blackness of the room and find someone alive. He took several steps in. That's when he noticed the glow.   
  
A wall had blocked it. Off in a corner was Sailor Moon. She stood staring down at something, her wand he imagined from the pink glow that lit up the alcove. Her back was stooped forward and her arms were bent, as if she were cradling the wand and its crystal with her body. She seemed unharmed.  
  
"Sailor Moon?" Endymion said, taking a step forward.   
  
It was wrong. He still didn't feel anything from her. Their connection was still broken. She didn't respond to his voice, staying bent over her wand. Cautiously he approached closer.  
  
"Usa?" he said more firmly. "It's your father. What happened?"  
  
His sword was still drawn, should it be needed. He was only dimly aware of it, though. His little girl needed him, but he didn't know how she needed him yet. A hundred different perils ran through his mind in the single second that it took to step closer to her.  
  
Perhaps it was his proximity that triggered it, but Sailor Moon's head suddenly came upright. Still cradling her wand and the pink crystal inside of it, she turned around. Her face was lit by the pink glow of the crystal as she turned and met his gaze.  
  
Endymion froze, horrified. Half of Sailor Moon's face was covered in black shadow, despite the glow of the pink crystal, save for a single white slit representing an eye. The other half was her, yet not her. Her red eye met his, but seemed unable to fully focus. Her mouth turned up in a vacant smile.  
  
"Daddy," she whispered absently. "You're just in time. We're going to remake the world in our own image."  
  
* * * *  
  
From inside her head, Usa saw her father standing in front of her.   
  
"Pop!" she shrieked. "I'm in here! Stop her, please! Don't let her do it!"  
  
At once, a black mist sprang up and began swirling around her body from her feet to her chest. Without warning, the mist coalesced into a huge snake and began constricting Usa's frame. The princess tried to force the snake away, but its grip was too strong. The snake's head came into view and it was Echidna's.   
  
"Why do you shout so?" Echidna asked forlornly, approaching the wriggling Usa even as the snake with her face constricted tighter. "Don't you like me, Princess?"  
  
"Let me go!" Usa roared at her. "Get out of my head!"  
  
"Oh but I so like it in here," Echidna cooed, leaning up against Usa and caressing her cheek. "It's so bright and cheerful! You have such a lovely life, Princess. It's reflected in your frame of mind. I really envy you, Princess."  
  
Usa struggled against the serpent's coils.  
  
"And besides, I must be here in order to control the energies of your pink crystal," Echidna continued. "How else am I to plunge the dream-worlds into the shadows of nightmare? Your father, the king, possesses the energies of the Golden Crystal. Between him and sweet Helios, I would have no hope of success. And that can't be. The dream-worlds must know my pain. They must."  
  
"Echidna, you have to stop this!" pleaded Usa. "You can't spread nightmares everywhere!"  
  
Echidna stared at her, her eyes growing wide and her face twisting in despair.   
  
"But you promised you would help me!" she wailed. "Oh, Princess, how could you betray me like this?"  
  
"I didn't say I'd help you do this!" railed Usa. "Echidna, listen to me! You can't do this! You'll destroy everything!"  
  
"I will?" Echidna asked. She looked confused and stared at Usa as if seeing her for the first time.   
  
"Yes!" Usa said, pressing her slim hope. "Echidna, you'll destroy all the dream-worlds if you plunge them into nightmares! And you'll destroy all of humanity! No one can live without pleasant dreams and if you turn everyone's pleasant dream into a nightmare, you'll destroy them!"  
  
"And how do you know this, Princess?" Echidna asked with a calm manner that was utterly eerie.  
  
"Because Helios said so," Usa maintained firmly.  
  
"Helios," Echidna smiled. It was a warm smile, one born of deep feelings that made Usa slightly uneasy. "He is a dear, sweet man. And do you believe in Helios without question, Princess? Is your faith that strong in him that you take him at his word?"  
  
"Yes," Usa replied firmly, without hesitation.  
  
"I am honored that you place so much faith in me, Maiden," they heard Helios say. The willowy man emerged from someplace behind Usa and circled around so he was in view of them both.  
  
Then he turned, gathered Echidna up in his arms and kissed her deeply and hungrily, to the utter horror of the Princess Usagi.  
  
* * * *  
  
"How's she doing?" Ceres asked. She allowed herself a glance at her sister, then looked back at the creeping black surrounding them. The gloom of the forest seemed to push down on them like a gigantic hand. It seemed ready to crush them at the first wrong move.   
  
"Still out," Juno replied, tending to the unconscious Sailor Saturn in between nervous glances at the dark. She knew it was just her paranoia and bad memories of her recent ordeal, but Juno couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. "You OK? You look like you're about ready to jump out of your skin."  
  
"Well why wouldn't I?" huffed Ceres. "This place is CREEPY! I wish Saturn would wake up so we could join King Endymion." At the mention of his name, Ceres smiled wistfully.  
  
"Ceres?" Juno queried.  
  
Ceres looked at her. Juno gave her that look, like she knew every thought Ceres was thinking. Ceres looked away uncomfortably.  
  
"You're not in love with him, are you?" Juno asked.  
  
"HOW DO YOU DO THAT?" Ceres gasped, mortified. "How do you always know everything I'm always thinking?"  
  
"I don't know everything you're thinking," chuckled Juno. "But there are some things you're terrible at hiding and you being infatuated with a guy is one of those things."  
  
Ceres sat down next to Juno, huffing out her disdain.  
  
"Ceres, you can't be serious about this!" Juno continued. "He's the king! And he's married! And he's about a thousand years older than you are!"  
  
"I know," Ceres replied, looking down to conceal her embarrassment. "I know he's out of my reach. But it doesn't change the fact that he's soooo handsome and kind and gallant."  
  
"You're right about that," smirked Juno.  
  
"But there's a dangerous side to him that's just under the surface, you know? It's kind of exciting."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
"Juno?" Ceres said, looking at her sister with mocking surprise. "You, too?"  
  
"Hey, I'd have to be blind or lesbian not to notice," Juno grinned. "But he's not available, so I don't dwell on it."  
  
"I just wish it was that easy," sighed Ceres. "When he saved me from that plant, I didn't want him to ever let go."  
  
"Tell you what," smiled Juno. "Next cute guy I run across, I'll toss him your way. It'll help you forget."  
  
"Just remember what I like."  
  
"I remember: cute and breathing."   
  
Ceres stuck her tongue out at Juno. Further exchange was cut off. Saturn began to stir. The pair concentrated on Saturn, looking for any way they could assist her.  
  
And Saturn rose - - but not in the way they expected. Her body stiff and straight, she rose from level with the ground to a standing position as if carried by a board. As she rose, her hands clasped over her heart.  
  
"Oh my," whispered Ceres. Hackles rose on the girl.  
  
Saturn whirled on the pair. Her eyes were blood red and glowed in the darkness. Her mouth opened, baring huge razor sharp fangs. Her hands curled, the fingers resembling the talons of some great beast. Ceres shrieked in terror. But Juno was closer, so Juno became her immediate prey.  
  
The senshi fell onto her back, pinned by the weight of Saturn and the impact of her lunge. She had her hands up holding Saturn off by her shoulders. Saturn clawed at Juno, her gloves the only thing preventing deep slashes in the green senshi's skin. Her head bent down, animal teeth snapping ravenously just short of Juno's throat. Only Saturn's slight frame prevented Juno from being overwhelmed. But she was strong, stronger than she should be, and it was all Juno could do to hold her at bay.  
  
"Get away from her!" wailed Ceres. She had hold of Saturn's right shoulder and was trying to pull her off of Juno. Her strength proved inadequate to the task. All it did was annoy Saturn. A thrust back with her right arm shoved Ceres aside.  
  
"Ceres, something's happened to her!" bellowed out Juno. "She's too strong! You can't fight her hand to hand!"  
  
"Then I'll get something that is strong enough!" Ceres spat out. "Floral Stimulation!"  
  
She had no idea whether her power over plant life would work in this nightmare land, but she tried just the same. Her mind came in contact with the gnarled trees that surrounded them and she exhorted them to grow and obey her. The trees resisted, but ultimately succumbed to her siren call. Limbs extended, growing foot by foot in seconds. Invigorated with newfound life, the branches reached out at Ceres' command. They became extensions of her own body, supple wooden hands that closed around the vampiric Sailor Saturn's waist and plucked her from Sailor Juno. Saturn struggled in the grip of the tree limb, but Ceres was quicker. Other limbs snaked around Saturn's wrists and arms, ankles and legs, then pulled her until she was drawn spread-eagle ten feet above the ground. Saturn strained against the wooden fetters like a wild animal, to no avail.  
  
"Juno, are you all right?" Ceres gasped, bending down to her sister senshi.  
  
"Yeah," Juno nodded. "Thanks for the save." They both looked up at Saturn. She bared her teeth and hissed at them, her red eyes smoldering with rage.  
  
"What could have happened to her?" Ceres cried. "Don't tell me there are vampires in this awful place, too!"  
  
"Who knows," Juno replied. Then she pointed up at Saturn. "Ceres, look! Her rose is missing! The ones the king gave us!"  
  
"Uh huh. What does it mean?"  
  
"While she was unconscious, a nightmare probably took her over - - like it did me when I lost my face!"  
  
"So how do we cure her?"  
  
"Maybe the king can help her. We have to get her to him, fast!"  
  
Just then, Saturn's body dissolved into mist before their eyes. The mist wafted to the ground, then reformed into Saturn the vampire.  
  
* * * *  
  
"You can't do this!" Makoto pleaded. She followed Queen Serenity as the monarch strode purposefully down the hall of the palace toward the aero-pad. Behind her, Rei and Minako struggled to keep up.  
  
"Watch me," Serenity replied.  
  
"Somebody has to stay behind and take care of Crystal Tokyo!" argued Minako.  
  
"You do it," Serenity replied.  
  
"You'll get lost and end up freezing to death on Andromeda's fifteenth moon!" scowled Rei.  
  
"Don't start with me, Rei!" Serenity growled back.  
  
"Hon', please! Don't go off half-cocked!" Makoto begged her.  
  
"Yeah, scope out the situation first," Minako suggested. "See what's going on. This may be exactly what some bad guy wants you to do."  
  
"Then he won't be disappointed," Serenity replied, maintaining course and speed.  
  
"You can't think that way!" Rei argued. "Serenity, too many people depend on you!"  
  
"Including my daughter!" Serenity retorted. "I won't see her hurt! I love her too much!"  
  
They turned a corner and found Ami and the cats blocking the path to the aero-pad.  
  
"Serenity, we all love her," Ami said evenly. "If this is the crisis you sense, you have to think with your head and not your heart."  
  
"Ami, please move!" Serenity howled.  
  
"Serenity, think for a moment. Is Endymion all right?"  
  
"Yes," Serenity sighed.  
  
"Then he has to be rushing to her aid right now. And Helios is there as well, as are the Asteroid Senshi."  
  
"Ami, please get out of my way!" wailed Serenity. "Don't make me go through you!"  
  
"SERENITY!" roared Luna.  
  
Serenity quaked in place, trying to control her mounting frustration and her almost conditioned response to obey Luna. Finally she turned on the little black cat.  
  
"WHAT, LUNA?"  
  
"You are queen of Crystal Tokyo! Conduct yourself with a little decorum!"  
  
"DON'T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND? MY BABY IS IN TROUBLE!" Serenity felt Makoto's arms fold around her from behind.  
  
"We know, Serenity," Makoto said, holding Serenity with her comforting strength. "I know most of all what you're going through. But you have to get hold of yourself."  
  
"And you have to have a little faith," Rei added gently. "Faith in Endymion and in Helios, and in her."  
  
"We sympathize, Serenity," Luna told her. "But you have responsibilities. You have an entire nation of people who depend upon you. You have an entire world of people who look to you for guidance. And if you rush headlong into an unknown situation and get yourself killed, how many people will suffer for that decision? And remember, you're the only power keeping the Door of Time closed! Diana may be its guardian, but goodness knows she doesn't have the power to repel someone who picks that moment to come through!"  
  
"But Luna," Serenity sobbed, collapsing to her knees. "It's my little Usa! I can't just stand by when she needs me!"  
  
"As your mother did when she watched you go off to face dozens of deadly enemies when you were Sailor Moon?" Luna countered. "Don't you think Ikuko felt just the way you feel now? But she knew the only way she could protect you was to have faith that you'd return safely and cling to it with both hands. Do you think she didn't suffer? I know because I watched her on more than one occasion. And you did come back safely. And who's to say that the one thing that tipped the scales in your favor wasn't her faith and her prayers?"  
  
"And your prayers and wishes might just have a little more impact," added Minako, "given who you are."  
  
Serenity looked down, sobbing pitifully. "I just don't want her to die," she squeaked.  
  
"None of us do," Makoto whispered, hugging her even more tightly. "You watch. Endymion'll bring her back safe."  
  
Her friends all gathered round and hugged Serenity, while Artemis and Luna licked her hands. And through that Serenity found the strength to stay at her post.  
  
* * * *  
  
Endymion didn't waste time with questions. He'd figure out later what happened. The immediate problem was readily apparent.  
  
Sheathing his sword, Endymion raised his arms and pointed his two index fingers directly at Sailor Moon. As he did so, his form took on a brilliant golden glow. His black hair began to blow and his cape swirled out behind him.   
  
"Are you going to kill me, Daddy?" Sailor Moon asked vacantly. "Could you really kill me?"  
  
"I'm not going to kill you, Usa honey," Endymion replied hoarsely. "I'm going to bring you back. I'm going to make you all better."  
  
"I remember when I was a little girl," Sailor Moon said, rocking back and forth and looking up at nothing. "I used to ride on your shoulders. It was so high."  
  
Power began to build in Endymion's hands.  
  
"And I remember the times you punished me. I remember the times you left me all alone in that big palace. And all the times you were mean and cruel to Mama - - back in the twentieth century."  
  
A bolt of brilliant golden light shot from Endymion's fingertips. It flashed forward toward Sailor Moon. But at the last moment, her wand came up and the bolt was caught by the pink crystal - - caught and held.  
  
"And now you think you can kill us?" Sailor Moon asked. Her single visible eye focused on him with paranoid glee. "No, no, no, little king. I am she and she is me and we are one together. I have unlocked her power and she has given my vision wings to fly high into the air. Soon everybody everywhere will know the utter bliss of unremitting agony! Oh, isn't it to die for!"  
  
With a sudden powerful shove, Sailor Moon's crystal drove Endymion's energy back at him. Spinning on her tiptoe, Sailor Moon came to a stop and raised the Crescent Moon Wand above her head. Pink energy fanned out from it in all directions, blanketing the room in pink light.  
  
Continued in Chapter 8 


	8. Blood Kin

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 8: "Blood Kin"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
Goth reached down to touch the crumpled mass of pterodactyl that was Sailor Vesta's current form. One touch and she would die, because this was a nightmare realm and it was where he had such power. Only his mistress, Echidna, or the golden crystal could stay his power and, once used, even they couldn't reverse the effects. Even the other denizens of the nightmare realm feared him, not that Goth cared. They were beneath him. Only Echidna didn't fear him. Only she gave him her caresses and her companionship, whether from her superior soul or from courage born of her madness. That's why only Echidna could claim his total allegiance. His hand neared the scaly gray skin of the flying lizard.  
  
And suddenly it was gone. Goth whirled around, looking for whoever came to Vesta's aid. The unconscious form of Tiberious was off in the distance. No one else was around. Confused and sick with worry that she had somehow escaped and threatened Echidna, Goth stole off quickly.  
  
As he left, thundering off to its perception, an earthworm wriggled out of the dirt it had burrowed into and 'watched' Goth depart. Only when it was sure he was gone did it allow its form to change. The worm swelled up, growing and changing until it once more was Sailor Vesta. The girl remained on all fours and bowed her head.  
  
"Oh, my head's still ringing from that crash landing," she mumbled to herself. "Barely changed in time. Urk! D-Don't barf, Vesta! You don't have the time! Got to get to the Princess."  
  
Vesta struggled to her feet. With no energy at the moment to change to a faster form, she jogged along as fast as she could manage until she could.  
  
"Got to help stop this," she told herself. "Got to prove - - I'm not like him!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Usa was in pain.  
  
It hurt that she had failed against Echidna. It pained her that Echidna had surprised her and possessed her body in order to combine her pink crystal's energies with Echidna's own. It was agony to realize that Echidna had recognized that to try to directly control the energy of the pink crystal was to court destruction, that the only way was by controlling and using Usa - - and she hadn't realized it. It was torture for her to think that her carelessness and lack of ability as Sailor Moon may cost the world everything.  
  
But none of it hurt as much as watching Helios passionately kiss Echidna, watch the two grind their bodies together in open lust, while she stood helplessly by. Usa strained to move toward them, but the coils of the giant serpent wrapped around her held her tight. The kiss just kept going on and on. No matter how hard she wished for it, it wouldn't end.  
  
"Helios!" she wailed. "Why?"  
  
"I share your body and I share your mind," Echidna said, parting from Helios' lips and purring at her. And still her visible eye wasn't quite lucid. "Why should I not share your lover?"  
  
"You get away from him!" Usa raged impotently.  
  
"He was mine before he was yours!" Echidna pouted. "Oh, you are so cruel and selfish!"  
  
"He loves me now!" bellowed Usa. "You get your hands off of him!"  
  
"Maiden," Helios said coldly, "stop this. Such behavior is unseemly."  
  
"Helios?"  
  
"You brought a moment of gaiety to my life, Maiden. But did you think I could ever see you as more than a moment's dalliance?"  
  
"No," Usa said, shaking her head.  
  
"He was mine before he was yours," Echidna smiled eerily. "And he was never mine. Why would you think he could ever be yours?"  
  
"No," Usa repeated. "You're doing something to him. You're controlling him. You have to be!"  
  
"How immature," sneered Helios. "How could you expect one such as I to love or even respect such immaturity?"  
  
Usa sank to her knees, still wrapped in the coils of the serpent. Its head, bearing the likeness of Echidna, bobbed up and down by her own head.  
  
"Then it was - - all a lie?" whispered Usa.  
  
"My feelings for you were genuine," Helios replied. "There is much in you that recommends you. But you are yet a child - - and I could not love a child."  
  
Echidna, with Helios watching her, turned and focused on combining and manipulating her energies and those of the pink crystal in order to see her plans come true. While behind them came the sound of soft sobs.  
  
* * * *  
  
The moment the pink light radiated out from Sailor Moon, Endymion acted. From his hands came golden energy, surrounding the pink radiance coming from his daughter. The energy formed a bubble around Sailor Moon, containing her radiance and preventing it from spreading further than the temple.  
  
"There you go again!" chattered Sailor Moon, grinning madly, her one visible eye dilated and staring. "You're always trying to limit me!"  
  
For a moment it sounded like Usa herself was actually speaking to him. But the insane look on her face told him otherwise.  
  
"Get out of my daughter!" Endymion snarled. Maintaining the barrier around her was difficult. The combination of Sailor Moon's energy and Echidna's proved to be very potent. But Endymion knew the consequences should he fail and so didn't. "Let her go!"  
  
"But she's mine!" Sailor Moon pouted. "I found her and I'm going to keep her! And I'm going to pet her and pat her and give her milk and tie a bell around her pretty neck! Hahahahaha!"  
  
"Do you know who I am?" Endymion asked. He looked at her, stern and serious. While maintaining the barrier around her, Endymion approached Sailor Moon. With every step he towered over her more and more.  
  
"You don't frighten me!" Sailor Moon snapped petulantly.  
  
"Do you know who I am?" he repeated. Sailor Moon flinched and looked away, but he still kept coming. Finally he stopped less than a foot from her, towering over her. Sailor Moon glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye, scowling. "Who am I?"  
  
"Y-You are our father," Sailor Moon replied at length and with great reluctance. "You are Endymion, rightful prince of Earth and of all humanity. A-And by divine providence, Lord of all the dream-lands who exist and serve by the grace of humanity." Sailor Moon's lower lip trembled.  
  
"What you are doing is wrong," Endymion said in a soft voice, a voice that threatened no anger, no retribution, but a voice that would brook no argument. "You will leave my daughter's body and you will stop spreading your influence beyond the boundaries of the nightmare realms."  
  
"No," Sailor Moon replied, shaking her head in disbelief, as if she couldn't comprehend him even saying such a thing.  
  
"Now, Echidna," Endymion told her.  
  
"NO!" Sailor moon roared.   
  
Pink energy veined with black streaks exploded out from her. The blast struck Endymion's barrier and forced it to expand. Endymion braced himself and poured more energy into the containment barrier, but was still forced back. His shoes skidded several feet along the floor of the temple before he could halt himself.  
  
"I am the sower of troubled sleep!" Sailor Moon proclaimed, lifting her wand high above her head and balancing on tiptoes. "I am the reaper of angst and guilt! I will spread my violet and indigo wings over all and they will allow me to fly up and touch the sun! And together we shall perish in a fireball of glorious torment!"  
  
As Sailor Moon laughed and gazed up at the ceiling, she began to pirouette, spinning on one toe so fast her trails of hair fanned out into pink wings. Endymion grimaced, not only from the strain of containing her increasingly powerful energies, but from what he feared he must do. Transferring the output of his barrier to his left hand, Endymion closed his right fist, then opened it. As he opened it, a red rose appeared in it. Grasping the rose by the stem, he flung it at the oblivious Sailor Moon like a throwing knife.  
  
"Oh, Daddy!" Sailor Moon cackled, suddenly swatting the rose out of midair with her wand. "You're so cruel to your only daughter!"  
  
She was playing with him. Somehow the combination of the two energies was more than even the Golden Crystal could handle. Endymion struggled to hold the barrier, but suddenly sensed that it was an effort in vain. He could feel his barrier beginning to buckle. Desperately he reached out with his mind, trying to reestablish the link he had with his daughter, to make contact and somehow help her reassert control over her body.   
  
Something was there. But it was like trying to reach through a mesh screen.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ceres had only a second to react. Then the vampire Sailor Saturn was on her, slamming her to the ground. She felt Saturn's nails, grown to talon length, dig into the flesh of her shoulders. She saw Juno trying to pull Saturn off of her without success. She felt Saturn's breath hot on her neck and smelled rot and decay and dried blood. Then she felt two jabs of pain in her neck.  
  
"FLORAL STIMULATION!" she shrieked, her voice splitting the night.  
  
Sprouting with amazing speed, garlic plants suddenly grew and surrounded Sailor Ceres' upper torso. They matured rapidly, sprouting garlic cloves. Saturn recoiled in horror and fell back, scrabbling away on all fours on the ground. Ceres, holding her throat with one hand, gestured to the trees she had previously controlled. A limb came down across Saturn's back with the force of a swung bat and knocked her flat. Instantly more garlic plants sprouted all around her. By the time Saturn recovered, she was surrounded, imprisoned above and on all sides by mature, clove-bearing plants. She howled impotently, sounding more like a beast than a human.  
  
"Ceres, how bad is it?" Juno asked, rushing to her side.  
  
"Never mind about that!" Ceres wheezed, on the verge of tears. "What do we do about her! I don't know how long that's going to hold her!"  
  
"She's got to be possessed by some nightmare," reasoned Juno. "You'd think if she can just wake up from it, she'd go back to normal. But how do we wake her up if all this didn't?" Suddenly she turned to Ceres. "You're the plant expert! Is there some plant that can be enough of a stimulant to wake her up? It's got to be strong!"  
  
Ceres sat there, bordering on shock. Blood dribbled down her neck to her collarbone under her hand. Then something clicked and a light came to her eyes.  
  
"Floral Stimulation," she whispered.   
  
A plant sprouted up between her legs. Ceres surrounded it with her hands as it grew, shaping the plant until it reached maturity. Then she gently cradled a leaf of the plant in her palm. The leaf dried, crumpled, then turned into a white powder. Gesturing with her free hand, the one stained with her own blood, Ceres directed the powder across the short expanse to where Saturn the vampire was imprisoned. Deftly the powder shot up Saturn's nose, even as Ceres was drying another leaf.   
  
Saturn's head fell. The girl slumped to the ground, oblivious to the grove of garlic plants she was in. Juno could see Saturn's face twitching, but fangs still protruded from beneath her upper lip. Ceres sent another bit of white powder wafting up Saturn's nose. Instantly Saturn began to twitch more violently. Another dose sent her into more violent shakes.  
  
"Is that how it's supposed to work?" Juno asked.  
  
"Kind of," Ceres replied. "I'm guessing on how much to give her. I don't want to give her too much."  
  
"Will it kill her?"  
  
"If I give her too much."  
  
Suddenly a shriek of terror tore from Saturn's mouth and she sat bolt upright. The girl was panting like she'd run fifty miles. Her eyes were wide and she looked around, disoriented, until she locked onto Juno and Ceres.  
  
Her fangs were gone.  
  
"It worked!" Juno smiled. "What plant was that?"  
  
"A - - coca plant," Ceres admitted.  
  
"Coca," Juno puzzled, then grew alarmed. "You gave her - -!"  
  
"Well you said you wanted a powerful stimulant!" hissed Ceres.  
  
"What happened?" Saturn asked weakly. Then she saw the wound on Ceres' throat. "Ceres, you're hurt!" She started for her fellow senshi.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" gasped Ceres, clutching her throat and shrinking away. Saturn sank back onto the ground. Those were familiar words.  
  
"Um," Juno began awkwardly, "how much do you remember?"  
  
"Everything," whispered Saturn. Tears dribbled down her pale cheeks. "It's happened again. I turned into a monster - - and hurt people." Saturn drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm sorry, Ceres."  
  
"Um," Ceres replied softly. "So am I. I - - you were just trying to help and I, uh, well, kind of went all baby and freaked." She crawled over and tentatively touched Saturn on the arm. "I know what I went through was really scary, but I'm sure it was worse for you. Sorry I freaked on you, OK?"  
  
Saturn nodded.  
  
"Uh, look," Juno began, "I know we've been through a lot and all, but the Princess is in trouble."  
  
"Usa's in trouble?" gasped Saturn, rousing her from her melancholy.  
  
"Yeah, and we have to get to her fast."  
  
"How?" Ceres asked. "None of us have a lot of speed, unless you've got a hover-car stashed somewhere."  
  
"I think I know a way. Ceres, build us a boat."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Weave a boat! Weave something out of tree limbs and vines and leaves and bark and sap and whatever you need! Just make it water-tight and big enough to carry the three of us!"  
  
"OK! Floral Stimulation!"  
  
As the others watched, Ceres manipulated the trees and flowers of the area until she had woven a crude canoe out of limbs, bark and sap. Juno placed it in the lowest part of the land.  
  
"Now what?" Ceres asked.  
  
"Just get in. I'll provide the rest," Juno told them. The three got in the canoe. "Aqua Initiation!"  
  
Behind them the ground shook. Water burst up from the ground, a huge gusher that quickly filled in around them. The canoe lifted up and began floating forward.  
  
"Instant river," Saturn nodded. "Very good."  
  
"By maintaining the right water pressure, I can even give us a current," Juno replied. "Hold on, girls. It's not going to be the smoothest ride, but it'll get us there as quick as possible."  
  
* * * *  
  
Usa tried to abate the tears. She forced her way through the ache in her heart, struggling to focus on what was more important. Echidna - - that sneaky little so and so - - had to be stopped from spreading nightmares into the realms where pleasant dreams resided. The condemnation from Helios was - - secondary.  
  
But it was hard. Hearing him say those things was a body blow, even if they were words conjured up by some spell of Echidna's, a hope Usa clung to with both hands. She tried to marshal her thoughts on escaping, on reclaiming her body and her command of the Pink Crystal. But Helios kept intruding into her thoughts, his words hammering her like a club, confirming her worst fears.  
  
"Think, Usa," she whispered to herself. "Concentrate! Stop being a lovesick little girl! You're fifteen now! You have to do it!"  
  
"Usa," she heard someone whisper.  
  
Twisting around surreptitiously within the coils of the Echidna serpent that held her, Usa saw Hotaru behind her. The slight girl was in a gown of virgin white. The white seemed to glow with a brilliance of its own. For a moment Usa feared Hotaru's glow would alert Echidna and bring the intruder's wrath down on her friend.  
  
"Don't worry," Hotaru said, reassuring her with her small, timid smile and her large violet eyes. "She won't see us. I'll get you loose."  
  
"I knew I could count on you, Hotaru," smiled Usa, feeling hope for the first time in a while. "But are you sure you can do it? That snake is strong and it's probably really nasty, too."  
  
"I can do it," Hotaru said. "I can do anything. That's what you keep telling me."  
  
Hotaru's eyes rolled back into her head. Her arms drifted up until they were level with the floor, then her hands raised up. Usa couldn't see anything at first. Then Hotaru's shoulder length hair began to fan out from her. Her dress seemed to glow with even more brilliance until it threatened to blind Usa. Usa continued to glance back at Echidna and Helios, fearing discovery at any time. She believed without question that Hotaru could free her. What she feared was Hotaru's fate should they be found out. Usa felt she'd rather face Echidna's wrath alone than subject Hotaru to a moment of it.  
  
"Don't be frightened, Usa," Hotaru paused long enough to whisper. "She won't find me. I'm safe from her."  
  
Usa wanted to believe it. However, she knew how many times Hotaru had been victimized by evil, used or attacked. She didn't want it to happen again, ever, even if it meant sacrificing her own freedom.  
  
Then she felt the serpent's coils begin to loosen. She was still helplessly wrapped in the coils, but the pressure of the cold-blooded serpent was lessened slightly. It was just enough to send her heart leaping. Hotaru remained eerily calm and utterly focused on her job. The coils' grip on her relaxed fractionally. The serpent itself seemed to realize what was happening and redoubled its efforts to squeeze Usa. However it never once looked at Hotaru. She was invisible to it. Usa shifted, trying to leverage her arms against the snake and help Hotaru's efforts - - anything to keep the slight girl from straining herself. Hotaru would keep trying well past the point of her utmost endurance. Usa was determined to keep that from happening.  
  
Like a lightning strike it hit. Hotaru gasped and arched backward in shock and agony. A giant ball of energy, spinning wildly and colored vaguely red, had passed through Hotaru's chest from behind her. Bereft of the force keeping it at bay, the coils snapped tight around Usa's torso. Usa gazed in horror as the color drained from Hotaru's young face. Her mouth curled around words that died in her throat. With her arms bent double and clutched awkwardly over her chest, Hotaru teetered and sank backwards. She came to rest rigidly on her back.  
  
"Hotaru!" screamed Usa. To Hell with whether Echidna heard. The young Princess had only one thought: Was her dearest friend harmed?  
  
"She can't answer," came a delinquent voice that Usa recognized all too well.  
  
"I doubt she'll be doing much of anything anymore," a second mocked.  
  
"Right," came a boastful third. "When I knock 'em down, they stay down."  
  
The fourth only laughed. It was a malevolent giggle, the sound a five year old might make - - if that five year old were capable of murder and found it fun. Usa didn't have to look to know who it was. She didn't want to look. But she did.  
  
Standing behind her were Jun-Jun, Cere-Cere, Ves-Ves and Palla-Palla. They wore their Dead Moon Circus costumes and their Dead Moon Circus mirthless leers. Ves-Ves held a pool cue in her hand.  
  
"Surprise," snickered Jun-Jun.  
  
"You really didn't think we were going to stick with that senshi stuff, did you?" Cere-Cere sneered. "It's just so - - sickening!"  
  
"Palla-Palla wants to play with her new dolly!" Palla-Palla squealed, the gleam in her eye and the width of her grin anything but innocent.  
  
"Just hold on, shrimp," Ves-Ves proclaimed, barring Palla-Palla's path with the pool cue. She focused on Usa and their eyes met. "This one's mine. Ready for our rematch, 'Princess'?"  
  
And without warning, she swung the pool cue at Usa's head.  
  
Continued in Chapter 9 


	9. Cruel To Be Kind

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 9: "Cruel To Be Kind"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
"I'm so weak!"  
  
Fisheye and Sailor Pallas turned their heads to the sound. Candide, the Queen Mother, stood up from her sickbed. Her arms extended out, as if searching for something. The expression on her face was anguished. Fisheye started for her, concerned.  
  
"She's just sleeping," Pallas said weakly. "And she's listening to the voices in her sleep."  
  
When Fisheye reached her, he saw it. Candide's eyes were opened, but she didn't seem to see. He grabbed her around the shoulders as she lurched forward, lunging for something only she saw. She fought against Fisheye's restraining grip impotently.  
  
"I must get to him!" she pleaded. Candide threw herself forward, trying to break Fisheye's hold on her. "He needs me! They all need me! They all cry out to me!"  
  
"Queen Mother!" Fisheye gasped. "Wake up, please!"  
  
Candide strained once more against Fisheye's hold, then went limp. Unable to support her, Fisheye guided her down to the bed. He could see her sobbing, though there were no visible tears.  
  
"Too weak," Candide whispered pitifully. "They needed me and-and again I was too weak. Forgive me."  
  
Unable to help anymore, Fisheye returned to Sailor Pallas.  
  
"Are we all going to end up like this?" Fisheye asked. He glanced at Ravonna as he nervously fiddled with his dress. She was still as death, as she had been for nearly three days now.  
  
"You have to have faith in the King and the Princess," Pallas said. Her eyes drooped disturbingly. "The King is very strong and the Princess is with her wonderful horsie and he's ever so smart. They'll stop the bad voices."   
  
When no response came from Fisheye, Pallas looked over to him. His head was drooping and his eyes were nearly closed.  
  
"Miss Fisheye Sir?" Pallas said.  
  
His eyes closed. Within seconds, though, Fisheye began convulsing in the chair. His gyrations threw him off balance and he tumbled to the floor at the foot of Pallas' bed. With Herculean effort, Pallas peered over the side.  
  
"Water," Fisheye gasped hoarsely. "C-Can't breathe!"  
  
"Oh, dear," Pallas frowned. Through great discomfort, Pallas pointed her finger at a carafe of water on a far table. "Beautiful Incantation."  
  
The carafe rose from the table and floated over to them, shaking the entire trip. When it was directly over Fisheye, Pallas gestured. The carafe turned over, spilling water over Fisheye's head. Immediately his troubled sleep quieted.  
  
"Poor Miss Fisheye Sir," lamented Pallas. "He believed the voices when they told him he was a fish again." Pallas let her head and torso sink back onto the bed. "Pallas won't listen to the bad voices. They won't get her. Pallas promised Vesta she wouldn't let them and she won't."  
  
And the forlorn little senshi lay silent, the only entity in the room who was still awake.  
  
* * * *  
  
Trudging along the terrain, Sailor Vesta urged herself on. She remained in her human form. She didn't have the energy to transform into a huge dinosaur that could cover more ground, nor into a normal sized animal that could speed along the distance. All she had left in her right now was the ability to change into an insect or rodent and she could cover more ground as a human.  
  
As she walked, she couldn't escape the nagging guilt that she was somehow to blame for this. If she'd fought smarter, she could have beaten her foe and then somehow helped Helios. If she'd attacked Echidna more quickly in the temple instead of letting Helios and Sailor Moon take the lead, perhaps the threat would be over. If she hadn't lost her cool and let her violent street side take over at the temple in Elysian, perhaps Echidna wouldn't have the foothold she had.  
  
"You're not going to end up like him," Vesta told herself. Her maroon boots plodded along the soft, shadowy terrain. "You've still got a chance to make good. You just have to be smart about it. Stop thinking with your fists. That's what he did."  
  
Occasionally she would look over her shoulder for some sign of Goth. Echidna's aspect had nearly done her in once and she didn't want him sneaking up on her. Too many people were depending on them to stop Echidna and if the decisive blow came down to Vesta, she wanted to be there and be ready to deliver it.  
  
Ascending a rise in the terrain, Vesta made the top and let out a winded sigh. She looked down the rise and found reason to hope. The temple of Echidna was below her and Helios was nearly there. There was no sign of either of Echidna's aspects. The pink glow coming from inside the temple was encouraging, too. That could only mean Sailor Moon was already locked in battle with someone, Echidna she hoped. Vesta allowed herself to smile.  
  
"Save some for me, Princess," she chuckled and started down the rise. However, two steps down, she stopped. "Wait a minute, dummy! It's down hill. You don't have to waste energy walking!"   
  
Vesta spread out her arms.  
  
"Fauna Assimilation - - flying squirrel!"  
  
Vesta's body shrunk down to the small gliding rodent. She leaped up until she was airborne enough to hook onto a downward air current. With little weight and with instinct to guide her, Vesta surfed the wind currents. In no time, Vesta was speeding down the rise at thirty miles per hour. She saw Helios enter the temple.  
  
"Right behind you, pony boy," the squirrel smirked.  
  
Helios ventured into the temple warily. In his injured state, he didn't want to rush blindly in and meet up with either Goth or Tiberius. Though normally he had the power to resist Goth's touch of death, in his weakened state he could succumb. And another fight with Tiberius could be disaster. He wasn't sure he could do anything against the merged might of Echidna and the possessed Sailor Moon.  
  
But he had to try. Billions depended upon him, not the least being the love of his life.  
  
Moving cautiously, headed for the glow, Helios crept further into the temple. Where before he reached out mentally to Echidna, trying to convince her to stop her quest for domination of the dream-worlds, now he did his best to shield his presence from her. It wasn't difficult. He sensed Echidna was occupied, probably with suppressing Sailor Moon's consciousness.   
  
"Hold out, Maiden," he prayed silently. "I come."  
  
Turning a corner, Helios saw what was transpiring. It was worse than he hoped it would be. Sailor Moon, with Echidna in full control, was radiating pink energy laced with black from her Crescent Moon Wand. King Endymion struggled to keep the energy contained to the room with the Golden Crystal. However, he was overmatched and some of the foul energy leaked through.  
  
Helios started for Endymion, then pulled back. Sharp pain from his broken ribs nearly doubled him over. Struggling with the pain and the debilitating effects it had, Helios forced himself upright. He stood there for several minutes, engaged in deep breathing as he fought to regain control of his body. Finally, the strain showing on his already pale face, Helios turned.  
  
"Helios! Get back!" Endymion shouted. "I don't know how long I can hold it!"  
  
"Then there is no reason," Helios said, wincing, "that you should hold it alone."  
  
As he approached, the crystal horn on his forehead began to glow. Ignoring the fire in his side, Helios raised his arms and joined his energies to Endymion's. The barrier began to firm up.  
  
As she neared the temple, Vesta could see a river had formed and was running across the path to the temple just twenty-five yards from the entrance. Drawing even closer, Vesta caught movement out of the corner of her left eye. For a moment she feared it was Goth and swerved to the right. Then she saw it was Juno, Ceres and Saturn riding in a crude canoe.  
  
"Aqua Initiation!" Juno bellowed.   
  
Suddenly a waterspout sprang up out of the river. It arched up into the air, then sped at Vesta. Unable to react in time, Vesta was slammed out of the air by the spout and knocked to the ground.  
  
Back in her human form, Vesta sputtered and shook her head. Angrily she turned to the trio. The waterspout had sucked most of the water from the river, grounding the canoe. The three senshi piled out of the craft, headed toward her with alarm. Vesta wondered why until she saw they were looking above her. Readjusting, Vesta saw Goth swooping back to where she lay. He dove at her, hands outstretched, eagerly seeking her. Vesta turned to move, but she knew she would be too slow.  
  
"Silence Wall!" Saturn called out.   
  
An invisible barrier formed around Vesta just in time. Goth crashed into it and was rebuffed. Immediately the barrier fell, allowing Vesta to scramble to her feet. By the time she regained her feet, Saturn was with her. She turned to face Goth, her glaive extended menacingly.  
  
"Go help Usa," Saturn told her. "I'll handle him."  
  
"Be careful!" hissed Vesta. "He can kill you with his touch."  
  
"Death doesn't frighten me," Saturn said solemnly. "Been there, done that."  
  
Vesta looked at her to see if she was blustering. She wasn't and suddenly a whole new level of respect was born in the maroon senshi. Vesta nodded respectfully and was off.  
  
"Are you so eager to die, little waif?" Goth smirked, wafting across Saturn's line of sight. He lingered at her left side, about eight feet from her.  
  
"Are you?" Saturn asked.  
  
With the speed of thought, Saturn pirouetted, spinning nearly one hundred eighty degrees. As she did so, her glaive came up and around, making her look like a ballerina of death. Goth sought to give ground, but the blade sliced across his middle, dissecting his sackcloth robe and the sickly skin beneath. By the time he recovered, Saturn was in a crouch, her glaive extended. The slightest move on his part would send the blade at him, possibly on a fatal course.  
  
Was it possible for death to die?  
  
"I remember you now," Goth smiled. It wasn't the reaction Saturn expected and for a moment her confidence dipped. "The one who became two - - and then one - - and then, for a brief instance, became none."  
  
Saturn's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I remember that day," Goth continued. "I was there. You felt my cold caress that day. And then that silver light pulled you back. At the time you wondered why she bothered."  
  
This shook Saturn. How did he know? He was describing something only she and Sailor Moon, now Queen Serenity, should know. What was this creature?  
  
In that moment of indecision, Goth lunged. However, Saturn recovered quickly. With inhuman speed, she stepped back and set her glaive to weaving before her in every direction. Her hands were blurs. The staff moved so fast that it seemed like there were four of them. The blade was everywhere at once, darting and slashing like it had a mind of its own and was intoxicated by its newfound freedom and power. Goth watched, hypnotized, seeming to wait for the blade to strike him.  
  
Then suddenly he lashed out with his hand. The glaive was ripped from Sailor Saturn and sent flying. It spun away and sank blade first into the ground. Saturn turned back to her opponent.  
  
"Time is up, little firefly of death," Goth whispered solemnly.  
  
Ceres and Juno waited at the temple door for Vesta to catch up.  
  
"Come on, Vesta!" Ceres said urgently. "The Princess needs us!"  
  
"She's losing?" Vesta asked.  
  
"She's already lost! Where have you been?"  
  
"I had a little trouble along the way," Vesta replied gruffly. "It didn't leave me time to do stuff like thread roses into my hair."  
  
"Bottom line is we have to help the king any way we can," Juno interjected, trying to stave off the impending argument.   
  
"But you're still done in from making that river!" Ceres said. "How much do you have left? And Vesta doesn't look much better!"  
  
"I'll make more of an impact than those goofy flowers of yours," muttered Vesta. Ceres' eyes flared, but before she could reply, Vesta pushed past her. "Come on, we're wasting time."  
  
Juno followed her in, forcing Ceres to do the same.  
  
Inside, they found King Endymion and Helios containing Sailor Moon with some effort. Sailor Moon angrily lashed at their barrier, expending more and more pink and black energy without success. The strain was telling on their faces, particularly on the face of Helios. But the strain was equally evident on Sailor Moon's face and body. Her posture was stooped, her face was lined, and she barely stood upright. However, she continued to lash out at the glistening golden barrier.  
  
"Maybe they don't need us," Ceres whispered.  
  
"We better stick around, though, just in case," Juno cautioned.  
  
Vesta glanced back toward the entrance, hoping she'd see Sailor Saturn.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Hotaru!" Usa shrieked.  
  
She strained at the coils that held her, but they would not release. Her shoulder hurt from where the pool cue had struck, but she ignored the pain. Only one thing concerned her, for Hotaru lay motionless. The Amazoness Quartet smiled and laughed, amused by the tableau and proud of their hand in it. Unable to support herself any longer, Usa sank to her knees, the serpent still snug around her torso and legs, and looked for some sign of life in her friend.  
  
"Hotaru?" Usa squeaked, emotion robbing her of her voice.  
  
Her gaze drifted up to the four evil girls standing over her. Cere-Cere stroked her braided hair with supreme arrogance. Jun-Jun stared back gleefully, drinking in Usa's misery. Palla-Palla had that spoiled little girl's smirk, like she'd just gotten away with something and was so very pleased with the fact. And Ves-Ves grinned maliciously, for the pain of another was something to be celebrated because it meant someone else got to suffer for a change.  
  
"Why?" Usa asked. "She was your friend."  
  
"Friends are for suckers," sneered Ves-Ves.  
  
"She never did anything to you! Ever!"  
  
"She got in the way," Cere-Cere said, her smile predatory. "Insects that get in the way get stepped on."  
  
"No, you're not like this!" raged Usa. "You were turning your lives around! You were making something of yourselves!"  
  
"Oooh, naughty little Princess is making up stories!" squealed Palla-Palla in a juvenile rant. "Palla-Palla is going to have to punish her!" As she spoke she was tossing a blue ball up and down.  
  
"Don't do this!" pleaded Usa. "Don't throw everything you've accomplished away! Please, you have to remember! You've proven you're all better than this! Please remember!"  
  
Palla-Palla produced a pool cue from thin air.  
  
"She's right," a voice said softly.  
  
Everybody turned. The three remaining Amazons gaped at Jun-Jun. The girl stood among them, confused and shaken. Jun-Jun looked down at her hands, then to her clothes like she was seeing them for the first time.  
  
"What are you talking about?" growled Ves-Ves.  
  
"We're not like this," Jun-Jun replied. She turned to Ves-Ves and was startled by the vitriol in her sister amazon's eyes. "Ves-Ves, this is the lie! We're not like this! We did try to change!"  
  
"Yes, you did! You succeeded!" Usa prodded.  
  
"Yes, we did," Cere-Cere nodded, the fog lifting from her brain. "Queen Serenity brought us back - - back from the orphanage."  
  
"You going soft too, flower girl?" snapped Ves-Ves.  
  
"Ves-Ves, it's true! Queen Serenity showed us the way! She helped us! Remember?"  
  
"And the four original senshi mentored you, just like they mentored me!" Usa continued. "Don't fall back onto the path of evil! You've got a life now! Don't throw it away!"  
  
Everyone turned when they heard Palla-Palla gasp in horror and suck in air. The girl had her hands to her mouth and was staring at the ball hovering before her.  
  
"PALLA-PALLA WAS GOING TO DO BAD AGAIN!" she shrieked. Tears pouring from her eyes, the girl sank to her knees by Usa. "Princess! Palla-Palla is so sorry!"  
  
"GET UP, STUPID!" roared Ves-Ves, smacking Palla-Palla across the back of the head. "Get off your knees! Stop that crying or I'll rap you again!"  
  
She drew back her hand to strike Palla-Palla again, but a stronger hand caught her wrist. Whirling on her unseen attacker, Ves-Ves came face to face with Helios. She froze in her tracks.  
  
"Such violence will not eradicate what you do not wish to hear or acknowledge," Helios said. He released her hand and Ves-Ves defensively shrunk into herself. "It will only hasten your doom. The truth may at times be painful, but it is a pain that can strengthen. Lies will only rot one away from inside."  
  
"You're right," Ves-Ves said in a small voice. She held her wrist as if it was burned and stared at nothing residing next to her toes. "Don't know how many times I have to learn that before it'll sink in." She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched, but it was only Jun-Jun.  
  
"Don't worry," Jun-Jun smiled. "We'll keep drumming it into your thick head." Ves-Ves cautiously smiled in return.  
  
"Helios!" Usa said frantically. "Please! Hotaru is hurt! Please help her!"  
  
Helios turned to her and he was the Helios of old: kind, strong and wise, and with that gentle love for all things living. She saw once more the smoldering passion, passion she knew was only for her, and Usa allowed herself to think that the worst had passed.  
  
Then suddenly everything changed. His passion for her grew cold. Helios reached out, swiftly drew Ves-Ves to his lean frame and buried his mouth to hers.  
  
* * * *  
  
A grunt of pain echoed in the halls of the temple. Helios, gripping his injured side, sank to his knees and doubled over with agony. Instantly cracks began to form in the barrier. Unable to help Helios lest the possessed Sailor Moon break free, Endymion could only struggle to maintain the barrier.   
  
"I guess there's a new power in the dream lands," Sailor Moon leered, her one visible eye dancing madly. "I love you, Daddy."  
  
With that, Sailor Moon lashed out and the barrier crumbled. Pink energy laced with black fanned out in every direction. Helios and Endymion were protected from the energy by their own power, while Juno and Ceres had Endymion's roses to ward off the effects.  
  
Vesta found herself back on the streets of Sao Paolo. It was "District Diablo", the worst part of a city that, like many cities even in the thirtieth century, didn't have the benefits those who lived in Crystal Tokyo had. In a mere second all the sights and sounds and smells and tastes Vesta thought she'd left behind came flooding back, tightening around her like a noose. She reached out to the wall to steady herself and felt the grime of years of neglect.  
  
"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" bellowed a male voice. Uncomprehending, Vesta turned to the voice. It was a Brasilia security officer in full battle armor and helmet. He had a government-issue laser pistol leveled at her, gripped with both hands as taught by the academy.  
  
"What weapon?" Vesta protested. Her hands were empty. Couldn't he see that?  
  
"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" he ordered again. "PUT IT DOWN NOW!"  
  
"I don't have any . . ." she began, taking a step forward. In that second, Vesta saw the officer tense, ready to fire and she froze.  
  
It was then that she noticed the rivulet of blood oozing down the dirty alley between them. Unable to keep from looking away from the laser pistol, Vesta glanced over to her left. Her mother lay in the alley, cold and lifeless, staring up at her. A sickening hole was in her chest where the blast from the energy pistol made it explode.   
  
"PUT IT DOWN NOW!" roared the officer. A sixth sense, born of the street, told Vesta that he was less than a second away from firing.  
  
And from somewhere a thought entered her mind, telling her that she deserved it.  
  
Continued in Chapter 10 


	10. The Soft Answer

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 10: "The Soft Answer"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
Helios - - and Vesta?  
  
Usa couldn't wrap her mind around the concept. And yet, right before her eyes, she saw her Helios passionately kissing Vesta. Or at least she thought he was her Helios. Maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe that little unspoken fear in the back of her mind was true. Usa always wondered if someday Helios would find someone that he liked better than her.   
  
But Vesta; Echidna was surprising enough, but Vesta?  
  
Vesta wasn't resisting in the least. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying it. Naturally she would. Usa couldn't really blame her, although at that moment she hated the girl's guts. Then she heard the twitter of laughter. The rest of the amazons were giggling at the situation, enjoying her discomfort. And all the while poor Hotaru was hurt - - or worse. And once more, just as she always feared, Usa was helpless to avert a tragedy unfolding before her.  
  
Then Usa stopped. That was it!  
  
"You did this!" fumed Usa, turning as much as she could, still trapped in the coils of Echidna's serpent familiar, to Echidna. "You're controlling them! You're making them all act this way!"  
  
"Am I?" Echidna asked vacantly.  
  
"Yes! You're using all of my fears against me, creating nightmares from them! That's what all of this is!"  
  
"Are you certain?" Echidna responded doubtfully.  
  
"GET OUT OF MY LIFE!" Usa roared. The serpent had to strain some to keep her restrained.  
  
"How typical," Helios sneered. Vesta was panting, looking up at him with desire and caressing his chest. "Once more a crisis occurs and you revert to fits of childish anger."  
  
"Stop making him say those things! I'm on to your game!"  
  
"They're your mental personifications, Princess," Echidna replied, almost tantalizingly lucid. "All I did was gather them and give them a stage." Suddenly Echidna turned to nothing and listened intently. "The Warden of Dingle-Dell says you're quite the madwoman and I shouldn't listen to you." And she flashed Usa a wild look of insanity.  
  
"Honestly," Helios added callously, "she hardly seems worthy of the wonderful gifts she possesses. What did I ever see in her?"  
  
Usa felt her rage welling up. Then something clicked in her mind and the rage cooled.  
  
"'Fits of childish anger'," Usa thought. "That's what makes Echidna stronger - - anger and fear! And Helios is always telling me that anger and hatred blunts my own power!" She glanced back at Helios and smiled at him tenderly. "In his own way, he was telling me now, even through the haze he's in. I've been attacking this the wrong way!"  
  
Summoning every trick taught to her by Helios, by the original senshi and, yes, even by her parents for controlling emotions, Usa closed her eyes. The girl slipped into a Zen state of calm, breathing evenly and shutting out the world and everyone around her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Echidna asked, sounding like a lost little girl. "Come back! We still want to play with you!"  
  
Usa ignored her, ignored everything and mentally reached out to the pink crystal that was hers by birthright.  
  
"Don't go! Don't leave us all alone, please!" wailed Echidna.  
  
The pink crystal was there, but she could feel the taint of Echidna's black energy on it. It was a struggle, but Usa fought down her revulsion and pierced the energy. Once she was through, the crystal seemed to leap to her gratefully.  
  
Usa opened her eyes. The serpent that had been holding her was gone. Helios was gone. The Amazoness Quartet and even Hotaru were gone. Only Echidna remained, grabbing at the air as if she were snatching invisible butterflies. Suddenly she sensed Usa's presence again and turned inquiringly to her.  
  
"Get out," Usa replied as calmly and as evenly as she could manage.  
  
* * * *  
  
The hand of Goth reached out for Sailor Saturn. It was a gnarled hand with blotchy, diseased skin hanging on bony fingers. Saturn backed up a step, but sensed instinctively that there was no place to run. She allowed herself a furtive glance at her glaive. It was about ten feet away from her, the point stuck in the ground. Goth would be on her before she could get it.  
  
Saturn only had one weapon left. Even if she could summon it, there was no guarantee it would work on this mystical being. But she had to try. The fate of the world might depend upon her. Certainly Usa needed her.  
  
"Don't run, little senshi of death," Goth smiled. "You're only prolonging the inevitable."  
  
Recalling Sensei's words, Saturn forced herself to calm as she backtracked just out of Goth's reach. Once she shut out the crisis nature of the situation, Saturn found her center. She forced herself to concentrate on that center, on pushing out a mental bolt that would pierce Goth and disable him. Her center resisted - - this was more complex than picking up a ruler. Saturn struggled to make it work. She felt herself panicking and tried to suppress it.   
  
Then a bolt launched. But as it left her mind, Saturn could sense it was weak. Opening her eyes, she found Goth almost upon her. Quickly backtracking, Saturn lost her balance and fell onto her back. The bolt impacted Goth's forehead.  
  
"Was that the best you could do?" Goth asked, his voice dripping in mock sympathy. Then he reached down.  
  
Animal survival instinct took over. Saturn scrabbled along the ground, trying to get turned around and off the ground. If she could just get to her glaive - - but a glance back at Goth told her he was nearly upon her. Her adrenaline surged and her small heart pounded in her tiny chest.  
  
The bolt was away before she realized it. It struck Goth like an arrow through the brain. He flung back, clutching at his head and bellowing in agony. Saturn didn't stop to gloat. Crawling desperately on her hands and knees, she scrambled over to her glaive and pulled it from the ground. Spinning on Goth's last known position, Saturn brought the glaive up ready to use it.  
  
Goth lay on the ground. He was stiff and unmoving. Still, wary of a trap, Saturn gave him a wide berth as she walked to the temple, eyeing him the entire time. She was twenty-five yards from him when she heard it.  
  
"PREPARE YOURSELF!" the roar came, a bellowed war cry echoing over the expanse of ground between the temple and the ridge.  
  
Saturn looked and saw a huge, burly man charging her with murder in his eye. She couldn't know he was Tiberious, Echidna's other aspect, but there was no doubting his intentions. Saturn's lips thinned and she felt frustration quickly boil into anger.  
  
"YEEEEAAAARRRRRGGHH!" Saturn screamed as she spun around once, bringing the glaive over her in a high arc.   
  
The blade plunged into the ground and the world shook on impact. A deep crack in the ground split out from the glaive's blade, shooting straight at Tiberious. The crevasse opened five yards wide and nearly a quarter mile deep   
  
- - right under the charging brute. Unable to stop or change direction, he plunged into the crevasse with an angry howl. The unconscious Goth had already tumbled into the pit. Saturn looked down. It would take a lot of time and effort to climb out of that. However, she didn't feel satisfaction - - just frustration at having been delayed.  
  
"And stay in there!" she snapped uncharacteristically, then headed for Echidna's temple at a jog.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Rei?" Queen Serenity inquired. Rei and Makoto were sitting with her, trying to ease her worried mind. Rei's head snapped back up.  
  
"Hmm?" the priestess asked.   
  
"Your head slumped over there like you were going to sleep," Makoto told her.  
  
Rei took inventory of her memories. "Yeah," she nodded, groggy. "I guess I almost nodded off there for a moment. Sorry."  
  
"Rei, what's wrong?" Serenity demanded.  
  
"Nothing!" fussed Rei. "I almost fell asleep. Sorry!"  
  
"Rei Hino, don't you treat me like that!" fumed Serenity. "After all these years, I know when one of you are hiding something from me!"  
  
Makoto looked at Rei suspiciously, knowing better than to mistrust Serenity's power. In frustration, Rei sagged back into her chair.  
  
"All right! It's probably nothing," Rei confessed. "But for a moment there - - it almost seemed like I could hear a voice."  
  
"Whose voice?" Makoto asked.  
  
"I've never heard it before - - and yet it seemed vaguely familiar."  
  
"Could you hear what it said to you?" Serenity asked.  
  
"I guess I did at the time," Rei answered, rubbing her forehead, "but I can't remember now."  
  
"Is it connected?"  
  
"To what?"  
  
"You don't feel it?" Serenity asked. "You don't feel the shadow that's fallen over the Earth? You don't feel how cold and bleak it suddenly seems? I do."  
  
Rei paused. "Yeah," she nodded. "Now that you mention it, I am sensing it. I just didn't notice."  
  
"Hey, you two are creeping me out," Makoto interjected.  
  
"What kind of power could slip in and cover the world without me noticing it?" Rei asked.  
  
"The power Endymion and Usa are fighting," Serenity swallowed. "I've got to help them."  
  
"We've been through this," Rei said, her tone one of warning.  
  
"I promise I won't leave this chair," Serenity told them. "But you can't stop me. All I ask is that you watch out for me here - - pull me back if I'm needed."  
  
With that, Serenity let her head fall back. She closed her eyes and took on a silvery glow. Makoto looked over to Rei.  
  
"We've been doing it for a thousand years," Makoto grinned. "Why should we stop now?" Rei grinned back.  
  
Then Rei slumped over into Makoto's lap.  
  
* * * *  
  
Even as he tried to reassert control over Sailor Moon, Endymion inched over to the fallen Helios, maintaining the protective shield around him. Once he was in reach of Helios, he extended his barrier over them both, allowing the injured warrior to rest.  
  
"What happened, Helios?" Endymion asked. "Are you hurt? Is it your ribs?"  
  
Helios nodded. "Injured in the battle with Tiberious, I fear," he said, gasping for breath. "I think some are broken. Forgive me for failing, Your Majesty."  
  
"You did your best," Endymion told him. "I can't understand how Usa got so powerful, though. Is Echidna that powerful, combined with Usa's power?"  
  
"You do not see it, do you?" Helios smiled through his suffering. "In your eyes she will always be that bright-eyed little girl so dependent upon you." Helios took a painful breath. "Your daughter will one day surpass you, Your Majesty. She has the potential power within her to be greater than you and your queen - - to be greater than you both combined."  
  
Endymion glanced over at Sailor Moon. At once he was proud and just a little intimidated.  
  
"And Echidna sensed this - - she must have, even through her madness. It was a mistake to bring Sailor Moon along. It put the greatest prize Echidna could ever dream of right in her grasp. I am to blame."  
  
"Don't," Endymion said. "I know how hard it is to say 'no' to her."  
  
Suddenly Endymion stopped. He turned slightly, listening to a voice Helios couldn't hear. But a few seconds passed and he heard it, too. He felt the caress of ghostly hands upon his cheek. He felt them pass down his sleeve. A feminine hand he couldn't see clasped his. Helios looked over to Endymion and saw he clasped an invisible hand as well.  
  
"Do you feel it?" Endymion asked. He seemed invigorated. "She's here - - with us."  
  
"I do indeed, Your Majesty," Helios replied. As he spoke, he noticed the stabbing pain in his side didn't seem to hurt as much.  
  
Endymion raised the invisible hand to his mouth and kissed it.  
  
"Let's bring our daughter home, dear," Endymion murmured. He focused on Sailor Moon and his golden aura seemed threaded with silver now. Helios brought his own power to bear and noticed silver threads ran through it, too.  
  
The laser pistol was about a second away from firing. Vesta could see the officer's finger squeezing the trigger in slow motion, drawing the agony out. A chill ran through her body. This was how her father died.  
  
And then her senshi training clicked in. Vesta bent into a crouch and lunged forward. The pistol moved to track her. Vesta opened her mouth to shout her power phrase. She would turn into a wasp, evade the blast, and then sting her attacker in the face. While he was distracted, she would make her escape.  
  
"Fauna Assimilation," Vesta started to call out.  
  
Then reality shifted. She was back in the darkened temple of Echidna. Juno and Ceres were just ahead of her, turned back and looking at her like she was crazy. So startled was she by the turn of events, Vesta staggered and fell to the floor on her hands and knees.  
  
"Vesta?" Ceres asked.  
  
Vesta just stayed on all fours, staring ahead in shock, her chest heaving. Cold sweat covered her body and her lower lip trembled. Sailor Juno crouched next to her.  
  
"Ves?" Juno inquired. "What was it? Were you someplace else? Did something happen that we didn't see?"  
  
"It was so real," Vesta whispered. "I-I was in Brasilia. A security officer was . . ." Vesta looked up to Juno in confusion. Juno saw she was trembling and put her arms around her.  
  
"It wasn't real," Juno said. "Well, it was, but it wasn't. It's Echidna. She's making us experience some of our worst nightmares. Ceres and I have been through it, too. So has Saturn."  
  
"She did this?" Vesta asked softly, still in shock.  
  
Juno could see Vesta's emotional state etched on her face. She watched it change in seconds from shock and fear to rage.  
  
"She did this?" Vesta snarled.  
  
"Now, Vesta, calm down!" Ceres warned, because she saw it, too.  
  
"You - - little - - BITCH!" Vesta bellowed. "Fauna assimilation - - Lion!"  
  
Usa didn't move. There was no need for overt symbolism. The pink crystal hovered between her and the mental image of Echidna, caged by talons of black energy. Usa reached out with her mind. She was in contact with the crystal and was trying to pull it free.  
  
"No!" Echidna wailed, her eyes wild and fearful. "It's my shiny sparkly! It's mine! Give it back, give it back!"  
  
Usa didn't respond. She kept her concentration focused on the crystal. Occasionally impatience and desperation would rise up in the back of her mind and she would feel her mental grip on the crystal begin to slip. The princess would force her anxiety down and keep pulling. Keeping control was difficult.  
  
"It's my crystal!" Echidna bellowed. "I need it! I need it to escape! To escape the voices and the dark clutchy things! They grab me around my throat and drag me down into the darkness and-and they do terrible things to me! And I need the crystal so I can escape them and run away with sweet, beautiful Helios and live in the sunlight! You must give it to me, YOU MUST!"  
  
The mention of Helios caused her anger to rise again. The crystal nearly slipped from her grasp and Usa struggled to keep it. It was hard. Her doubts about Helios didn't want to go away and they acted as grease on her mental palms.  
  
"Helios isn't yours!" barked Usa. "He was never yours!"  
  
That outburst only served to let the crystal slip further.  
  
"Stop it!" Usa thought, lashing herself mentally. "You're just letting her win! Think happy thoughts! Helios - - the way he touches you, the way he makes you feel. Think of that - - think of the way he looks at you, the way that makes you feel so special."  
  
The crystal stopped slipping. But Usa feared she didn't have the strength to wrest it back.  
  
A hand closed around Usa's left shoulder. She turned, startled, but nothing was there.  
  
"Usa honey," she heard her father say. "I'm here."  
  
It was him. He'd come for her. He'd come to help her. Despite all of her protestations when nothing threatened, the feel of Endymion's ghostly hand on her shoulder seemed to make everything better. Another hand closed around her right shoulder. It wasn't her father's; this hand was smaller and feminine.  
  
"I'm here, too," she heard her mother whisper in her ear. "You may be a brat, but you're my brat and I want you back home with me. Come back to us, dear. You can do it. We have faith in you."  
  
Usa could feel her grip tightening on the crystal. The power seemed to be reaching for her eagerly. Suddenly all of her doubts and fears were melting away. Echidna struggled to wrest it back, but she seemed so small and diminished. Usa suddenly felt sorry for her. Then her sight of Echidna was obscured. It took a moment to focus. Helios was before her.  
  
"Maiden, whatever Echidna has told you or made you see is a lie," he told her. "In her world, truth is wrapped in lie and lie wrapped in truth until neither is distinguishable. Do not be fooled. She is not more powerful than you are. She could not be, for she lacks your good heart and gentle elegance. Cast her out, Maiden. Cast her out and return to those who love you."  
  
"No, Helios!" cried Echidna. She sensed the presence of the lord of wonderful dreams. "I am your only love! Don't you remember? Don't you remember all the wonderful times we had? We can have them again! Don't abandon me, Helios! Not again!"  
  
With a savage jerk, Usa wrenched the pink crystal away from Echidna. It hovered before Usa's chest, glowing like a miniature sun. The Lady of nightmares fell to the floor and looked up at Usa from her hands and knees. Usa towered over her, the glow from the crystal throwing unearthly shadows on her eyes. The pupils, already an alarming red, took on a grisly shade of pink.  
  
"Get - - out," Usa stated.  
  
Hurricane force winds sprang up, blowing against Echidna. She strained to maintain her position, to no avail. At once the gale picked her up and sent her, spinning and careening, out of Sailor Moon through her eyes.  
  
At that moment Vesta changed from a fifteen-year-old girl to a six-hundred-pound full-grown lioness. Juno tried to tackle her, but the great jungle cat ripped from her grasp with ease. Leaping between Endymion and Helios, Vesta landed within two feet of Sailor Moon. She reared up on her hind legs and with a single swat from her powerful forepaw spun Sailor Moon to the floor. Confused and terrified, Sailor Moon looked up into the open mouth of the great lion. Rage burned red in its eyes and bared fangs glistened in the low light.  
  
"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" roared the lion.  
  
Continued in Chapter 11 


	11. The Hunt For Lady Echidna

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 11: "The Hunt for Lady Echidna"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" the lioness who had been Sailor Vesta roared. She pulled her head back, jaws open and teeth bared, prepared to plunge down and close around Sailor Moon's throat. Still dazed from expelling Echidna from her mind, Sailor Moon could only stare into the jaws of death.  
  
"VESTA, NO!"  
  
The thought exploded in Vesta's brain like a grenade. Time seemed to wink out for a moment. The next thing she knew, Vesta was sprawled face down on the floor of the temple, transformed back into a human. Her head rang. Her muscles were liquid. A sight registered with difficulty. It was Sailor Moon, on her side, pressed back against a wall and staring at Vesta with horror and betrayal.  
  
Vesta felt something wet on her lip. Brushing a shaky hand over it, she found blood on her glove. Her nose was bleeding. Ceres was behind her saying something, but it didn't register. There was still an impression on her bruised and battered brain. Vesta tried to focus on it.  
  
"Pallas?" Vesta asked. She didn't know if she'd asked verbally or mentally.  
  
"Pallas is sorry," Vesta heard a weak voice in her mind. "She didn't mean . . . to shout. But you were going to do bad, Vesta. We can't . . . do that anymore."  
  
"Pallas, what's wrong? You sound so weak!"  
  
"Pallas is . . . so sleepy," she heard Pallas say in her head. "Listened . . . to the voices . . ."  
  
"Pallas?" Vesta said out loud. "Pallas?!!"  
  
Everyone stared at her, but Vesta didn't notice. She kept waiting for a response that wouldn't come.  
  
And the tears came. Vesta curled up into a fetal ball and sobbed openly. Her chest shuddered as she hugged her legs and keened.  
  
"Vesta?" Ceres pleaded, on the verge of tears herself. She placed a hand on Vesta's shoulder. It went unnoticed.  
  
"Pallas," Vesta murmured between mournful sobs. "I'm so sorry. I did it again. I didn't mean it. Please believe me, I didn't. Please say something, Pallas. Please."  
  
Having witnessed the tail end of what happened, Saturn circled around to Sailor Moon and crouched beside her. Sailor Moon accepted Saturn's attention gratefully.  
  
"What happened?" Saturn asked. "She was trying to kill you!" Remembering her own nightmarish transformation, Saturn tensed. "Did Echidna get to her?"  
  
Sailor Moon watched Helios limp over to Vesta. Her heart froze upon realizing he was injured, but she stayed back. She realized he was intent on something and gave him room to act. Helios knelt down to Vesta and placed a gentle hand on her head.  
  
"Sleep," he urged, the horn on his forehead glowing, "and dream only happy dreams. They are under my power and my protection." Vesta calmed and her eyes closed.  
  
"We need to find her," Sailor Moon told Saturn, her eyes on Vesta the entire time. "We need to stop her."  
  
Once she was sure Helios was finished, Sailor Moon pulled away from Saturn and crossed over to him. Juno and Ceres were gathered around Vesta, worried looks etched on their faces. Sensing her approach, Helios turned to Sailor Moon and saw the look of distress on her face.  
  
"Helios," she whimpered. "You're hurt."  
  
"Few have come through this battle unscathed, Maiden," Helios replied. It seemed like he was looking into her heart and seeing everything she'd gone through while possessed by Echidna. Sailor Moon felt herself flush and shook it off.  
  
"Well there's something I can do about this," she said and summoned the Crescent Moon Wand.  
  
"Maiden, you need not," began Helios, but a stern look from Sailor Moon stopped him. "Very well," he sighed. "But do not strain yourself, I beg you. Your might may be needed against Echidna."  
  
"Hush," Sailor Moon said. She pulled his shirt up and gasped. A huge, ugly bruise was swollen up on his side. Sailor Moon's lip trembled. Then she sobered and brought the wand near the injured side. "Moon Healing Escalation!"  
  
Pink particles, moon dust if you will, flowed from the crescent of the wand and wafted down. When they landed on Helios they began to glow softly. The swelling started to recede. Discoloration in the skin faded. Everyone could see Helios begin to breathe easier. When Sailor Moon finished, Helios was healed. Smiling, he leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Thank you, Maiden," he said.  
  
"Paid in full," Sailor Moon smirked.  
  
The two rose. Sailor Moon sensed the presence of her father behind her and turned to him.  
  
"I'm glad your safe, honey," Endymion told her. His hand gently caressed her cheek.  
  
"Thanks to you and Mom," Sailor Moon said, looking down. "I-I, well, I guess I shouldn't have let her get the jump on me."  
  
"It happens," Endymion said. "I know. You know all about my time with Queen Beryl. It's not like I can criticize you. And you fought your way out of it. Don't feel bad."  
  
Sailor Moon swallowed. "Thanks, Pop," she whispered, hoping nobody else heard. Louder, she said, "We've got to find Echidna. She has to be stopped, now." The other senshi nodded while Vesta slept.  
  
"I can find her," Helios proclaimed. "She can no more hide from me than I can from her. With your power, Your Majesty, we can - - put an end to this." He glanced over at Sailor Moon. Helios could see that she wanted to go with him, but didn't try to force his hand. "You may come as well, Maiden, if you wish."  
  
"Do you think that's a good idea," Endymion ventured uneasily, "after what happened before?" Sailor Moon grimaced, but again said nothing.  
  
"No," Helios replied bluntly, "but we may need her power. Echidna has proven before that she is capable of resisting your Golden Crystal."  
  
"I was holding back before," Endymion replied.  
  
"Dad, I won't get sucked in again!" Sailor Moon protested. He wanted to stay firm, but both she and Helios silently appealed to him.  
  
"All right. But please, Sailor Moon, let ME handle it. Don't get involved unless you have to."  
  
"Got it," she sighed reluctantly. Turning to the senshi, she said, "Maybe you three should stay behind and look after Vesta."  
  
"Yes, Princess," Juno nodded.  
  
"Princess?" Ceres added. "I know Vesta's sorry for what she did. You'd probably have to torture her to get her to admit it, but I know she is. She's not evil, Princess. Please don't hate her."  
  
Sailor Moon looked down uncomfortably.  
  
"Sure," she mumbled. "We've got to go." Sailor Moon quickly exited, followed by Helios and Endymion. Outside, Helios changed into his Pegasus form.  
  
"I have sensed Echidna," he announced. Sailor Moon noticed his horn was glowing again. "Ride upon my back, Maiden."  
  
Once she was aboard, Helios launched into the air while Endymion levitated beside them. Covering miles at a time, the trio flew toward a deep, dark cave set into a sharp, jagged mountain. The mountain was bare, with pointed outcroppings of rock seemingly poised to impale the unsuspecting. Long, deep black shadows hid entire portions of the mountain. Entire sections were recessed and draped, concealing any potential menace in black.  
  
"Does everything in this place have to be creepy?" Sailor Moon asked.   
  
"The denizens of this realm would be happy nowhere else," Helios replied. He dived down toward the cave. "She is in there."  
  
The trio landed about twenty feet from the mouth of the cave. After Sailor Moon dismounted, Helios reverted to his humanoid form.  
  
"It will be a perilous journey inside this cave," Helios warned. "Echidna will be at the advantage and she is yet very powerful. We must be alert to any potential threat."  
  
"I've got a better way," Endymion said.   
  
Standing erect, Endymion allowed an eerie calm to overtake his body. He began to glow with a golden aura and the others knew he was invoking the Golden Crystal again. For several moments he stood there, his glow building in brilliance. Helios and Sailor Moon stared in wonderment.  
  
Then with a somnambulant motion Endymion reached under his breastplate with his hand. The gloved hand reappeared moments later holding a single red rose. Slowly, lazily he lifted the flower to his nose and partook of its bouquet.  
  
Like a flash of light Endymion's hand snapped out, flinging the rose at the mountain. It struck the stone stem first. Instantly the mountain exploded outward. Rocks and gravel flew everywhere. Sailor Moon flinched into the arms of her lover. It was a moment before they both realized Endymion had erected a shield to protect them from the debris.   
  
Sitting in the center of the blast, unscathed, was Echidna. She looked around her in confusion, sitting on the ground, hands braced on the ground and lower legs pointed north and south.  
  
"Wasn't there a cave here a moment ago?" she wondered aloud. "I think there was a cave here. Oh why is it so hard for me to remember things?"  
  
As Helios and Sailor Moon looked on in awe, Endymion purposefully strode toward her. His violet-black cape flowed behind him as he covered the distance between them a single step at a time. Echidna noticed him and shrank into herself.  
  
"Y-You stay back!" she cried. "I'm queen here! This is my realm and these are my clutchy things and you HAVE TO DO WHAT I SAY!"  
  
Undaunted, Endymion continued on.  
  
"You have to! You have to do what I say!"  
  
"I can't completely hate you," Endymion replied, his stride uninterrupted by his words or her threats. "You were given a terrible burden. You bore it well and with honor for as long as you could. Then you could bear it no longer and broke under its weight. I'm very, very sad for you."  
  
Echidna looked up at him, her one visible eye large and moist.  
  
"But you've thrown reality into chaos. You've disrupted everyone's life. You've caused immeasurable pain and suffering to so very many people." Endymion's jaw clenched. "And you threatened my daughter."  
  
"Your Majesty," Helios warned.   
  
"Don't worry, Helios," Endymion said, turning to him slightly. He was poised right over Echidna. "I know how much of a pointless and futile gesture killing her would be." He smiled wistfully. "I've been taught the quality of mercy by the best."  
  
"OBEY ME!" spat Echidna suddenly. She shot her hands up and fired her black energy at Endymion point blank.  
  
Endymion caught it effortlessly in his hand. Holding it out to her, he allowed the energy of the Golden Crystal to dissipate it.  
  
"You've done enough," Endymion proclaimed. Pointing a finger at her, he hit Echidna between the eyes with a bolt of golden energy. Echidna sprawled onto her back and gazed sightlessly up into the air.  
  
"Daddy?" Sailor Moon gasped softly. "Daddy, what did you do to her?"  
  
"The only merciful thing within my power," Endymion answered, not looking at her. "I erased her mind. She won't threaten anyone again. Helios, if you would?"  
  
Nodding, Helios crossed over and knelt down next to Echidna. His hand gently caressed her forehead.  
  
"From this moment on, you will know only happy dreams," he said, his horn glowing. "I make this so by my power and my protection." They all noticed Echidna's blank stare turn into a happy one.  
  
"Isn't there a way she could have been cured?" Sailor Moon asked. Both men noted the hint of betrayal in her tone.  
  
"Echidna and I, we are not like humans," Helios said softly. "Once broken, there is no mending the thoughts and mind of one of the dream worlds. I'm sorry, Maiden. Would that I could tell you otherwise, for to so offend your idea of right and wrong pains me. It is the only thing the king and I could do to stop her."  
  
"I'm not happy with what I did, honey," Endymion added. As he spoke, Helios once more took his Pegasus form. "If there was any other way - - but she was a danger to everyone and I had to think of them. She was too far gone to contain."  
  
Sailor Moon looked down, her face pinched with sadness. It slashed both Endymion's heart and that of Helios. The king busied himself with levitating Echidna's sleeping form while Sailor Moon climbed up on Helios. The four travelers launched up into the air, headed for Echidna's temple to collect the Asteroid Senshi, then back to Elysian. Sailor Moon already noticed how somber the nightmare realm seemed, as if it were in mourning. It only served to make her feel worse.  
  
"What happens now?" she asked timidly, almost dreading the answer.  
  
"Echidna will return to Elysian where she will live out her days asleep and dreaming happy dreams," Helios thought to her. "Ironic, in that her fate would have been the fate of us all had she succeeded, save that our dreams would not have been happy ones."  
  
"That doesn't make it any easier to take," Sailor Moon mumbled bitterly.  
  
"I sympathize with your feelings, Maiden," Helios replied. "I never claimed this solution to be just - - merely necessary."  
  
"Perhaps you'll understand better when you're older, honey," Endymion told her. "Or maybe you'll cling tenaciously to your optimism like your mother does." He grimaced to himself. "Try to think about how many were saved. Way back when, when I was a practicing doctor, we sometimes had to remove healthy tissue in order to halt the spread of diseased tissue. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but sometimes it was necessary."  
  
Sailor Moon rode in silence.   
  
Back at the temple, Saturn, Ceres and Juno had noticed the subtle shift in the environment of the nightmare realm. Before, the shadows seemed to twist and turn with a life of its own, a life unseen and suspiciously predatory. But now the darkness held only an eerie stillness.  
  
"I don't like this at all," Ceres mumbled, clearly worried.  
  
"You didn't like it before," Juno shot back, glancing around warily.  
  
"So what," Ceres scowled. "I'm multi-dimensional. I can dislike several things at once." She glanced over at Saturn. "Are you sure those two creepy guys out there are taken care of?"  
  
"I'm not sure of anything," Saturn replied. "But that hole I put them in was certainly deep enough. They won't get out of that for a while - - unless they can fly."  
  
"Had to add that last part, didn't you," Juno grinned nervously. Saturn returned the expression.  
  
"What do you suppose they're going to do to Vesta when we get back?" Ceres wondered aloud.  
  
"I don't know," Juno answered. "But they're going to do something. They won't keep letting her slide. She lost her head, in battle, and attacked the princess. They can't ignore that."  
  
"Doesn't the circumstances mean something?" Saturn offered. "I mean, I attacked you two. If they punish Vesta, wouldn't they have to punish me, too?"  
  
"Vesta has a history," Juno said.  
  
"I've got a bigger history than the four of you combined," Saturn answered. "Some of the others might want to punish her, but I don't think Queen Serenity will let them. She's very kind."  
  
"Maybe you're right," Juno whispered, looking down at the sleeping Vesta. But she didn't believe it.  
  
"What was that?" gasped Ceres, looking around suddenly. The three senshi fell into defensive postures. However, the sound proved to be the flap of Helios' wings on approach from the west. The three saw Helios, Sailor Moon, King Endymion and the rigid form of Echidna.  
  
"I guess we won, huh?" Ceres ventured.  
  
"We stopped her," Sailor Moon replied dourly. "I'm not going to claim it as a victory."  
  
Vesta was draped across Helios. Endymion levitated the others and they were off toward Elysian. The procession traveled in silence, the others noting Sailor Moon's bleak mood and staying quiet. As they neared the Temple of Elysian, though, a sight was there to greet them that lifted everyone's spirits.  
  
"You're back, you're back!" Sailor Pallas exclaimed gleefully as she sprinted from the temple. "You're all safe! Oh, Pallas was so very worried!"  
  
Fisheye was behind her, happy to see everyone as well. Trailing them were Ravonna and Candide, walking at a dignified pace.  
  
"Pallas, you're all right!" Juno gasped joyfully. When she touched down, she knelt and caught Pallas in her arms, giving the girl a big hug. "You got through it OK!"  
  
"Because the king and the princess and the horsie-man stopped the bad voices," Pallas smiled. "Pallas ended up listening to them, but she's glad she didn't have to listen for very long."  
  
"You sure you're all right?" Ceres asked.   
  
"Pallas is fine, thank you," Pallas nodded. Then she noticed Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn easing Vesta down. "Is Vesta hurt?"  
  
"She's sleeping, Pallas," Juno told her.  
  
"Pallas can tell now," Pallas nodded. "Vesta's so happy. That's good. She was so sad before, when she almost did the bad thing. Vesta feels so guilty. We should let her be happy as long as we can."  
  
"Yeah," nodded Ceres sympathetically. "Might as well let her sleep. When she's asleep, she's not shooting her big mouth off."  
  
Candide approached Helios, now humanoid again. Ravonna and Fisheye flanked her.  
  
"Echidna?" Candide asked.  
  
"She sleeps, Mother," Helios replied solemnly.  
  
"Oh dear," Candid replied with a tone of dire finality.  
  
"What is it, Helios?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
Helios bowed his head. Summoning strength to stand erect, he turned and faced Sailor Moon.  
  
"The balance must be maintained, Maiden," Helios told her gravely. "The nightmare realms must have a guardian, just as Elysian must. As guardian of Elysian, the task falls to me to choose a successor for Echidna, as my mother once chose Echidna."  
  
Turning away from her, Helios let his mind fan out over all of Elysian. Sailor Moon watched him as he stood motionless, his thoughts blanketing the realm of beautiful dreams. Then he winced and dropped his gaze.  
  
"Ladon," he said and his voice seemed to echo over the hills. "You are summoned."  
  
Within moments a male appeared. He was seventeen, with a lean, sturdy body, billowing shoulder length blond hair and soft, intelligent features. Sailor Moon heard Ceres suck in air behind her and understood.  
  
"Ladon," Helios said, putting his hand on the youth's shoulder, "forgive me. I must charge you with being the guardian of the nightmare realms."  
  
Ladon looked down with disappointment. "As you command, Lord Helios."  
  
"Helios?" Sailor Moon interceded, desperation in her voice. "You can't send him into that! What if the same thing that happened to Echidna happens to him?"  
  
"It shall happen, Maiden," Helios said with a heavy heart. "None can carry the terrible burden of violent and chaotic forces trapped within the nightmare realms and not break under the strain. This post has existed since the dawn of humanity and all who served have been broken sooner or later."  
  
"That's barbaric!" Sailor Moon howled. "Helios, you can't do this! Please, if I mean anything to you, don't do this!"  
  
Helios bowed his head. "As you wish, My Maiden. But the nightmare realms must have a guardian, else chaos and terror spill over the borders and into the waking world. If not Ladon," and he looked her squarely in the eye, "then the duty must fall to me."  
  
Concluded in Chapter 12 


	12. The Consequences of Fairness

THE NIGHTMARE REALM,  
  
CHAPTER 12: "The Consequences of Fairness"  
  
By Bill K.  
  
"W-What?" Sailor Moon whispered in shock. Everybody watching her sympathized, even the now awake Sailor Vesta, for Sailor Moon's love had just proclaimed his own death sentence, one she had helped bring about.  
  
"Ladon was selected because he was most qualified to wield the power necessary to guard the nightmare realms," Candide said softly. Her hands gently gripped Sailor Moon's upper arms. "The only other candidate available at this time is Helios, for he already wields the power to guard Elysian."  
  
"But Helios," Sailor Moon almost sobbed.  
  
"A choice must be made," Helios said to her. "A guardian must take control, and soon, or else many will suffer needlessly."  
  
Seeing his daughter was in no shape to make such a heart-rending choice, Endymion stepped in. He gently took control of her from Candide and turned her to the side.  
  
"Your first choice is acceptable, Helios," Endymion said. "You know best in these matters." He turned to Ladon. "Thank you. The world appreciates your sacrifice."  
  
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ladon bowed. Then he moved toward them and gently touched Sailor Moon on the arm. "Thank you for your efforts on my behalf, Princess Usagi. They are gratefully appreciated. But this is best. Many, many more depend upon Lord Helios than depend upon me."  
  
With a sound like a sob escaping her, Sailor Moon tore from Endymion's grasp and ran into a nearby wooded area. Helios turned sadly to Endymion.  
  
"With your leave, Your Majesty," Helios requested.  
  
"Go ahead," Endymion nodded. "You can probably make her understand better than I could."  
  
Softly approaching a clump of trees and bushes, Helios peered over and found Sailor Moon. Her knees were pulled up to her chest as she sat against the trunk of a tree. Heaving with sobs, she cried furiously, bitterly.  
  
"Maiden," Helios began.  
  
"It's not fair, Helios!" she wailed. "We're condemning that poor man to death! He's never done anything to anyone! IT'S NOT FAIR!"  
  
Cradling Sailor Moon next to him as he sat against the tree, Helios stroked her pink hair.  
  
"The wolf eats the lamb, Maiden," he said. "This is not fair to the lamb. But if we intercede and spare the lamb, the wolf goes hungry. This is not fair to the wolf. And should we intercede too often, the lambs will grow unchecked and crowd out everyone else. This is not fair to everyone. What is fair differs from perspective to perspective. What is necessary may not always seem fair to us, but if it is fair to enough people, is it not then right?"  
  
"I guess," she whimpered, crying on his chest. "Oh Helios, I was so adamant about saving that poor man - - until I was faced with losing you instead! Then all of a sudden my high-sounding morals just crumbled! I'm such a hypocrite!"  
  
"No you're not, Maiden," Helios whispered gently, stroking her hair. "You're human."  
  
And he held Sailor Moon until she could cry no more.  
  
As Candide, Fisheye and Ravonna led Ladon to the temple to prepare him for his new post, Pallas turned to listen to something only she heard.  
  
"Poor Princess," Pallas grimaced.   
  
"Yeah," Ceres nodded, glancing back at the procession headed for the temple. "Being royalty sucks when you've got to make decisions like that."  
  
"She'll come around," Saturn offered. "Usa's a lot stronger than a lot of people give her credit for."  
  
"Like me," mumbled Vesta.  
  
"Ves?" Juno inquired, kneeling next to her fellow senshi. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Just leave me alone, huh?" Vesta said softly. "Get away from me before I drag you down with me."  
  
"Vesta!" whined Pallas, kneeling on Vesta's other side. "Please don't be sad! You didn't do the bad thing! You stopped in time!"  
  
"Only because you stopped me," Vesta said. "I was so mad I wouldn't have stopped until I'd ripped her chest open." Vesta shuddered. "Sailor Moon got her mind messed with and she fought back. I get messed with and I attack the person I'm supposed to be guarding. I just can't escape it. I'm going to end up like him, I know it."  
  
"No you won't!" Juno told her. "It's not written in stone! You just have to keep trying!"  
  
"Listen to her, Vesta," Pallas pleaded. "Juno's really smart! If she says you can do it, you can!"  
  
Vesta refused to budge. That only made Pallas cry harder.  
  
"Oh, stop being such a little baby!" Ceres growled at Vesta. "You messed up! You can learn from it - - do better next time! Unless it's like I always thought and you're too stubborn and too stupid to learn anything!"  
  
"Leave me alone," huffed Vesta.  
  
"Damn you!" Ceres cried. "I don't care if you get thrown out or if you slink off like a whipped dog or what happens! But if you break Pallas' heart, I'm never going to forgive you!"  
  
Vesta scowled, but didn't respond.  
  
"Please, Vesta?" Pallas begged tearfully. "It'll be all right! You're not a bad girl! Pallas knows it!"  
  
Saturn watched Pallas cry on Vesta's shoulder, ignored by Vesta. Ceres turned to hide her own tears while Juno looked on helplessly. Then she glanced at Endymion. The look on his face told her he wasn't seeing any of this. He was still seeing Vesta the lioness leap at his daughter, fangs and claws bared.  
  
And her immediate wish was that her healing power could heal this situation.  
  
Eventually Sailor Moon's tears subsided. When she was up to it, Helios escorted her back to the temple. As they walked through the woods, Sailor Moon looking contritely at her boots, he sought out her hand and grasped it securely.  
  
"Helios," Sailor Moon began timidly.  
  
"Yes, Maiden?" he asked.  
  
"Was there ever anything between you," she asked haltingly, "and Echidna?"  
  
"Echidna and I?"  
  
"Because I would totally understand if she was an old girlfriend or something," Sailor Moon continued on, not giving him a chance to answer. "I mean, you probably have a bunch of old girlfriends. I might not have been your first, and I totally understand if that's the case . . ."  
  
"Why would you think such a thing?" Helios asked innocently.  
  
"Well," Sailor Moon began tentatively, "Echidna kind of said she was still in love with you and stuff - - and I just wanted to know if - - well, if there was any - - um, history - - between you two."  
  
Helios smiled, amused, and brought her hand up to his lips.  
  
"Echidna and I played together as children," Helios told her. "We were quite close growing up. When I succeeded Mother as Guardian of Elysian, Echidna considered becoming one of my temple maidens. There was, for a time, a healthy competition between her and Evionne for the position." Helios sobered. "Then two things happened that forever precluded any relationship we might have had. I met a shining light - - the most brilliant dream light I had ever encountered, housing the most beautiful dream imaginable."  
  
"Me?" Sailor Moon asked timidly.  
  
"Yes, Maiden," he smiled. Then he grew serious again. "And The Dead Moon Circus invaded the dream lands. I was merely captured. Echidna's predecessor was destroyed so Queen Neherenia could have access to the nightmare realms. When the dream lands were finally freed, a new guardian was needed for the nightmare realms. My Mother knew Echidna was best qualified and selected her so I would not have to."  
  
"I'm sorry, Helios."  
  
"As am I. But there was no other way." He kissed Sailor Moon's hand again. "Perhaps she did love me. Who but her can say? But any relationship between the two of us is nothing more than a delusion conjured up from a mind descended into madness."  
  
The pair entered the clearing where the temple stood and found Endymion and the senshi waiting for them. Sailor Moon blushed with embarrassment and crossed over to the team. Endymion took that opportunity to come up to Helios.  
  
"Thank you," he said. Helios nodded respectfully. "You seem to have a way with her that - - that I used to have. I envy you." Endymion paused, considering his next word. "Helios, this isn't easy for me - - but obviously I'm no longer the most important man in her life right now. If you and she ever have a daughter of your own, someday you'll understand what I'm feeling." He hesitated, then took a breath. "It may not always seem like it, but I think you're the finest choice she could have made. I'll be honored the day you marry my daughter."  
  
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Helios replied.  
  
"Which won't be for a few years yet," Endymion added with a wry grin.  
  
"As you say, Your Majesty," chuckled Helios.  
  
"I think it's time we were getting back," Endymion said to everyone. He had no sooner turned away then Sailor Moon was back. She threw her arms around Helios and kissed him long and hard. Endymion tried mightily to control himself.  
  
"Good-bye, Helios," Sailor Moon squeaked.  
  
"Until we meet again, Maiden," Helios smiled back.  
  
"I hope it's a happier occasion. Having a crisis takes away from smooching time."  
  
"A-HEM!" Endymion prodded.  
  
"OK," fussed Sailor Moon.  
  
Without even waiting for the senshi to form a circle for Sailor Teleport, Endymion spread his cloak and invoked the Golden Crystal, using the power to transport them to Earth. When they arrived, Serenity and the original senshi were there to meet them.  
  
"Oh, Endymion, you're safe!" Serenity cried, flinging her arms around him. Reaching out with one arm, she caught Sailor Moon and pulled her into the hug, too. "I was so worried about you both!"  
  
To her surprise, Endymion gently but forcefully eased Serenity away. He turned to the Asteroid Senshi, who were still gathered protectively around Sailor Vesta.  
  
"Sailor Vesta," he said in a tone that demanded obedience, "go to your quarters and stay there until you're summoned."  
  
Dejected, Vesta shuffled off. Pallas looked frantically to her, then to King Endymion.  
  
"The rest of you stay in the cafeteria until we summon you," Endymion said. Turning to the original senshi and Serenity, he said, "We need to have a meeting, right now. Sailor Moon, since you're involved and since you're in charge of the Asteroid Senshi, you need to be there, too."  
  
"Endymion?" Serenity asked, ill-at-ease.  
  
"Your Highness, Sir!" Pallas pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't do anything to Vesta! She's ever so sorry!"  
  
"Now," Endymion replied. Juno and Ceres gathered up Pallas and led her off as the girl cried hysterically. Sailor Saturn lingered in the doorway, first watching Pallas and then Endymion.  
  
Curious about the subject of the meeting and uneasy about Endymion's manner, Serenity, Usa and the original senshi gathered in a conference room in the palace. All eyes were on Endymion. As they watched, all mystified except for Usa, Endymion outlined Sailor Vesta's conduct. His relating her lioness attack on Sailor Moon drew several gasps of alarm from them. Of them all, Minako seemed most upset.  
  
"I've told you all this because I need advice," Endymion told them. "I know what I'd like to do concerning Sailor Vesta, but I realize I have more than a passing interest in this situation and it's probably coloring my judgment. Besides, training and managing this group of senshi has become a joint effort among us all and I think it only fair that WE ALL decide what, if anything, should be done."  
  
Endymion scanned the audience and noticed that Usa was silent, withdrawn.  
  
"I don't think there's anything to discuss," Rei ventured. "She's out."  
  
"Rei, that's pretty harsh," Makoto commented.  
  
"OK, it's harsh. Are you saying it's undeserved? She turned on a teammate - - tried to kill her."  
  
"I seem to recall you attacked a teammate once a long, long time ago," Ami said. She seemed like a chess master probing with a pawn.  
  
"With two differences," Rei bristled. "At the time she deserved it AND I wasn't trying to kill her."  
  
"But what about the circumstances?" Makoto argued. "It isn't a black and white situation. This woman was screwing with the kid's mind. You don't know what she was seeing, what she was feeling. She got pushed over the edge by a force that was stronger than she was and just lashed out in anger. And we BOTH know just how hard it is to control that when we've been pushed over the brink."  
  
"Which just proves my point," Rei countered. "She's a loose cannon. She's as much a danger to her teammates as to an enemy."  
  
"You mean to Usa, don't you?" Ami asked.  
  
"Stop psychoanalyzing me!" Rei snapped. "OK, Usa! They're supposed to be her guardians. How effective are they going to be if they have to guard her from Vesta as well as an enemy? Stick that in your computer and see if it computes!"  
  
"You're suffering from the same problem Endymion is," Ami answered. "You're affection for Usa is clouding your judgment. You're not thinking logically."  
  
"She's right, Rei," Minako said, her arms folded over the back of the chair in front of her and her chin resting on her forearms. "Everybody knows you're as protective of Usa as you are of Serenity. That's got you ready to execute the poor kid."  
  
"And your feelings for Vesta aren't clouding yours?" Rei shot back.  
  
"Maybe," Minako sighed. "Gotta say I'm about as disappointed in one human being as I've been since my first divorce. I really thought I'd gotten through to her. Makoto's right about her head getting messed with, but the signs were there before. Right now I'm not sure it took that hard a push."  
  
"I agree," Ami said. "The warning signs have been there. I've seen them. You've all seen them, too. I warned you all before that she needs some sort of psychological counseling to get her past these issues that cause such anger in her. I'm saying that it's even more urgent now."  
  
"You're right, Ami," Serenity nodded. "We should have listened to you. I suppose it's my fault. I just thought a little love and stability could get her over it."  
  
"Fine," Rei nodded. "What about punishment?"  
  
"Rei," sighed Serenity.  
  
"Whatever her issues, she doesn't get off scot free for this!" Rei maintained. "A person has to be accountable for their actions, no matter what drove them to it. There comes a point where you make a choice and you have to accept the consequences for that choice."  
  
"Got to agree with her there," Makoto said. "I'm not saying we dump her like Rei wants, but we've got to show her that this sort of thing isn't acceptable. Get her into this counseling thing of Ami's, but get her to realize that you don't do this sort of thing, no matter what the reason is."  
  
"Knew you'd put in the plug for Ami," smirked Minako. Makoto nudged her with an elbow. "I still don't trust all of that head-shrinking nonsense, but I vote we hammer her, too. I don't mean toss her into the trash heap - - just do something to her that she's going to remember."  
  
"I suppose there's no other choice," Ami grimaced, adjusting her glasses. "But counseling is essential. This girl isn't so far gone that she can't be brought back. But the path she's on is as self-destructive as her father's was and to do nothing to alter it would be criminal."  
  
"I think they've summed it up properly," Endymion said. "Serenity?"  
  
"I think we haven't asked the one person who should be asked," Serenity said. She turned to her daughter. "Usa, you were the one she attacked. What do you think we should do?"  
  
In the cafeteria, Palla-Palla had calmed down to dejected sniffles. Hotaru, Jun-Jun and Cere-Cere just sat and wondered.  
  
"What do you think they're going to do?" Cere-Cere posed.  
  
"I hate to say it," Hotaru sighed, "but if King Endymion gets his way, she's in big trouble. He didn't look very happy when we got back."  
  
"Can't anybody see she's sorry?" whimpered Palla-Palla.  
  
"Sometimes sorry isn't enough," Jun-Jun told her. "Sometimes you have to pay for what you do, Palla-Palla."  
  
"But what are we going to do if she's gone?" Palla-Palla groaned. "It isn't fair! Palla-Palla doesn't want her to go!"  
  
"We weren't going to be together forever," Jun-Jun offered. "That's life. People go down their own paths sometimes. It happens. It's not the end of the world."  
  
"The queen had all of her friends forever," Palla-Palla squeaked. The tears began to flow again and Jun-Jun looked to Hotaru and Cere-Cere, helpless to know what to say.  
  
"We'll get through it," Cere-Cere offered, grasping Palla-Palla's hand. "Come on."  
  
"Palla-Palla doesn't want to get through it without Ves-Ves," the girl sobbed.  
  
"Me?" Usa asked, startled.  
  
"Yes, honey," Serenity smiled. "You're the victim here. Besides, she's your senshi and your friend. Who better to know the situation?"  
  
"Um, well," Usa began, shrinking into herself. "I mean, it's not like Vesta was the only one Echidna messed with. And it's not like she's the only one who became dangerous because of it. I mean, I was the one she was using to boost her power. That's a lot more dangerous than anything Vesta did."  
  
"But this sort of thing has been happening before the mission to Elysian," Minako said. "Don't make excuses for her."  
  
"That's just Vesta. She's got a nasty streak to her, but she's real valuable to the team. And - - well, you also have to consider what kicking her off would do to the others. Pallas would be lost without her. And Juno and even Ceres love her. They're family." She looked up at Serenity. "I mean, how would you have felt if someone had taken away one of the original senshi, Mom? You'd have been devastated. That's how they're going to feel. And it's not like she ever means it. She's just got a temper. So I'd rather you didn't do anything - - for them. I mean, I can live with her. Who knows, someday I might even break through and get her to like me. But I don't think you should do anything to Vesta."  
  
"Then we won't," Serenity smiled. "That's kind of what I was hoping to hear from you. You're really beginning to mature, Usa honey."  
  
"Like mother, like daughter," Rei sighed in frustration.  
  
"Am not!" groused Usa.  
  
"Do nothing?" gasped Endymion. "Usa, she could have hurt you!"  
  
"But she didn't," Usa countered. Then she gave her father 'the eyes'. "Please, Dad, don't hammer her."  
  
"Yes, Endymion," Serenity added, giving him 'the eyes', too. "Please?"  
  
Endymion frowned. "I hate it when you two do that." Usa and Serenity smirked in triumph at each other.  
  
The original senshi, sensing the decision was made, began filing out. However, it was Ami who noticed Serenity and Endymion talking privately and, in her opinion, very intensely.  
  
The mood back in the cafeteria continued to be somber. Then, to everyone's surprise, Palla-Palla's head shot up. Her eyes wide, the girl seemed to be listening to something, but they couldn't hear what.  
  
"Palla-Palla," the young telepath 'heard' Ves-Ves say in her mind, "I'm going to be gone for a little while. I - - have to do something. I've got no choice."  
  
"Ves-Ves?" Palla-Palla thought back. "Please don't go!"  
  
"Palla-Palla?" Jun-Jun inquired. "What is it? Are you getting someone's thoughts?"  
  
"I have to do this. Don't worry. I'll come back. I promise."  
  
"Palla-Palla believes you!" the girl thought. "She'll wait for you to come back, even if it takes forever!"  
  
"Thanks," she sensed Ves-Ves reply. "We're family. Don't forget that. That's the only thing giving me the strength to do this. I'll be back. I'll make good. Please don't give up on me."  
  
"Palla-Palla won't! She'll be your family forever and ever!"  
  
Palla-Palla continued to cry, as the other three looked at her strangely. But there was the hint of a hopeful smile on her tiny mouth.  
  
Just then Usa eased up. The girl looked tired and a little worried. None of the girls at the table took it as a good sign.   
  
"So what's the verdict?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"About Ves-Ves?" Usa asked. "Ami-san's going to try to get her some counseling."  
  
"They're not going to kick her out?" Cere-Cere asked excitedly.  
  
"No."  
  
"OH, PRINCESS, THANK YOU!" squealed Palla-Palla. "Palla-Palla is going to be grateful to you forever!" And she ran out of the room to find Ves-Ves.  
  
"I'm assuming you had a hand in that, given what she said," Hotaru looked at Usa proudly.  
  
Usa shrugged. "They asked me what I thought and I said she'd be more valuable staying. And Mom said that's what they'd do. No big."  
  
"Thank you, Usa," grinned Jun-Jun. Cere-Cere was smiling, too.  
  
"Don't thank me just yet," Usa warned. "Ves-Ves is still on thin ice around here. My Dad and Rei-san were ready to drop her in the moat and Minako-san isn't too happy with her, either. Ves-Ves is going to have to work really hard to get their trust back. Especially Rei-san, because that woman holds grudges."  
  
"That was still pretty nice of you to do, Usa," Cere-Cere said, "given what Ves-Ves did."  
  
"Are you all right around her?" Hotaru inquired.  
  
"Well," Usa sighed, "I have to admit it'll be a while before I can look at her and not see that lion about to snap my head off. But I forgive her. I know what she went through. I guess we all do. And I know she wasn't purposefully out to kill me. Besides all I have to do is think of two words and it makes it real easy to forgive."  
  
"What words?" Juno asked.  
  
"Black Lady."  
  
Ami Mizuno entered her office preoccupied with the meeting she'd just left. It was frustrating not to be able to convince the others that her counseling program could help Sailor Vesta. Serenity would try, but she wouldn't force Vesta into treatment. Vesta was the type of person that sometimes had to be forced into accepting something that was for her own good. But that wasn't Serenity's style and if Vesta said 'no', that would end it.  
  
Even more disappointing was Endymion's insistence for punishment rather than rehabilitation. She knew he was thinking with his heart and not his head, but that didn't take the danger away from the situation. Sailor Vesta was a powder keg and the wrong action or even miscalculated inaction could lose the girl forever. Nobody wanted another "Toshiko" to happen, but only Ami seemed to recall that part of their history.  
  
She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the person sitting in the corner of the room for several seconds. When she did, she gave a start.  
  
"Ves-Ves?" Ami asked.  
  
"I know I'm not supposed to be out of my quarters," Ves-Ves said, her eyes instantly seeking the floor as she stood up. Her posture, normally defiant, seemed unsure, almost cringing. Ami had a dozen questions, but kept silent. "I'm, um, sorry for that. B-But I, um - - I wanted - - um . . ."  
  
"Go ahead, Ves-Ves," Ami said softly. "You're not in any trouble. If anyone asks, I'll say I asked you here. Go ahead."  
  
"Well," Ves-Ves began again. Ami could see she was struggling to pull the words from her mouth. "Um, S-Sensei Mizuno-sama, I, um . . ."  
  
Ves-Ves seemed to tense up. Her breathing rate increased. Ami could see she was struggling with her fears and emotions and the adrenaline rush was throwing her whole body out of whack. Ves-Ves closed her eyes unsuccessfully to stem the tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"I - - I need help."  
  
A flood of sympathy washed over Ami and she cradled Ves-Ves with her arms.  
  
"I don't want to end up like my dad, b-but I can't stop myself!" Ves-Ves wailed. "I can't stop getting angry about everything, a-and when I get angry I just lose it! A-And you're about the smartest person I know! You're smarter than anybody in the kingdom! Can you help me? I don't want to end up like him! Please don't let me end up like him! Please! I'll do anything!"  
  
"Of course," Ami whispered, trying to soothe the distraught girl. "Of course I'll help you. Please don't be so upset. You've taken the first step already."  
  
"A-And they're going to kick me out and I'll be separated from the others! They're the only family I have! I don't want to go away! Please!"  
  
"They won't send you away, Ves-Ves," Ami told her. "I promise you!" Ves-Ves sagged to the floor and Ami knelt next to her, holding onto her upper arms. "And I can help you control your anger. It won't be easy. We're going to have to get to the root of everything that makes you angry and devise ways to deal with it so that you won't lose control. It won't happen overnight, but I can help you and I will, as long as you're willing to work with me."  
  
"I will. I swear," Ves-Ves nodded weakly, shuddering with sobs. "Thank you, Sensei Mizuno-sama. Thank you for letting me stay. I'll do anything you tell me to do. I swear it."  
  
"You're welcome, Ves-Ves. But I wasn't the one who made the decision to let you stay." Ves-Ves looked up at her. "That was the Princess. She's the one who swayed everyone to let you stay."  
  
Ves-Ves sniffed loudly. "She's so nice. I don't deserve her."  
  
"We can change that," Ami grinned.  
  
THE END 


End file.
